Amstetten project helps unemployed women return to work

A women’s employment project in Amstetten is helping those who have been out of work for a long time prepare to return to employment, ORF reported. The initiative comes as unemployment in Lower Austria has risen faster than the national average, with women particularly affected.

At “unida”, participants gain practical experience by sorting clothes and advising customers in a second-hand shop, preparing food in a kitchen and serving guests in a café. The project is funded by the Public Employment Service (AMS) and the state of Lower Austria.

Staff also help participants prepare for job interviews and offer German lessons. The project aims to support both their career prospects and personal development, including building confidence. In individual meetings, staff work with each woman to identify barriers to finding work, which can include childcare, housing, transport or violence in the family. A psychosocial worker provides support and can refer participants to appropriate counselling services.

At the end of September, about 46,000 people were registered as unemployed with AMS in Lower Austria, a 7.7 percent increase from the same month a year earlier. The national increase was 2.5 percent. Unemployment among women in Lower Austria rose by 11.3 percent, compared with 4.4 percent among men.

Project manager Susanne Leitner-Posch said women can be more likely to take career breaks to care for children or relatives who need support, making it harder to find work again. Unida also helps participants with practical needs such as finding childcare.

About half of participants over the years have found permanent jobs, Leitner-Posch said. One recent participant found work, passed her driving test and completed her apprenticeship qualification. Unida was founded in 1998. Earlier this year, its nonprofit association merged with GESA, a nonprofit renovation and employment company based in St Pölten.