Equality
starts here

equal pay netz

The project Equal Pay Netz (“equal pay network”) is committed to promoting equal opportunities and improving the lifetime earnings of women. Funded by the European Union and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy, the project addresses key challenges in reducing the gender pay gap in Austria. Given the complexity of the gender pay gap, the project aims to test a regional, sector-specific approach to identify (new) ways to counteract income disparities in concrete settings.

To achieve this, Equal Pay Netz focuses on raising awareness, promoting equal opportunities and improving women’s lifetime earnings in the tourism and industrial sectors across four regions: Innsbruck, Klagenfurt-Villach, Steyr-Kirchdorf, and Eastern Styria.

Building on a comprehensive analysis of the various drivers of income inequality, a total of 22 activities will be implemented across all four regions with the involvement of national and international experts.

These activities include workshops and networking events, as well as discussion formats for regional stakeholders, companies, employees, and individuals interested in the topic.

Equal Pay
For Equal Labour

Austria ranks among the top countries in Europe and the OECD for income disparities between women and men. The negative consequences for business locations, competitiveness, and ultimately for the affected individuals are significant.
The project Equal Pay Netz defines equal opportunity (equal pay) as fair lifetime earnings for women and men, thereby extending far beyond mere wage equality between men and women.

Promotion and Career

Education, Profession, Industry

Unpaid care work

Work hours

Labour market participation

Income earned

Lifetime income

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Gender Gaps

Gender Pay Gap

The unadjusted gender pay gap – which currently sits at 18.3 % in Austria – describes the difference in gross hourly earnings between women and men. The calculation does not consider working hours, education, industry, or profession. The current statistically recorded earned income portrays, in our understanding, simply the tip of the iceberg, which in its entirety represents the sum of lifetime earnings. The invisible part of the iceberg consists of the income that accumulates over the course of a lifetime and is directly and indirectly related to paid labour.

Gender Hours Gap

The indicator of the gender hours gap describes the difference in the number of paid working hours between men and women. In 2022, the average monthly number of paid working hours for men was 148 hours, while for women it was only 121 hours. This number worsens significantly after the birth of the first child.

Gender Overall Earnings Gap

To provide a more comprehensive picture, Eurostat calculated the Gender Overall Earnings Gap in 2018. This also includes the participation gap in the workforce. For Austria, the percentage is 44.2 %. This means that, when considering all three mentioned gaps, women in Austria earn 44.2 % less than men.

Capacity Building = Participation = Empowerment

Capacity-building activities in four regions of Austria will contribute to reducing gender-specific income disparities. This will strengthen the economic power of the regions and help foster innovation and future sustainability.

We understand capacity building primarily as a participatory process that supports the stakeholders of a region. This is achieved through connections to various already existing structures: expert inputs, digital tools, shared practices, training, consultations, networking, collaboration, events, etc.

Regions

Österreichkarte mit eingezeichneten Regionen

Learn more about gender equality, equal pay, and the future potential of each of the regions.

Innsbruck

The „Tiroler Weg” already provides a strategic direction for sustainable tourism development. Gradually, measures for social sustainability in tourism – such as the role of sustainability coordinators – are being implemented and regulated by law.

Klagenfurt-Villach

A third of the tourism overnight stays in Carinthia are accounted for by the Klagenfurt-Villach region, securing 7,000 jobs in more than 500 businesses. Structural differences (seasonality in the lakeside areas, two-season mode in winter and summer destinations, as well as year-round business opera-tions in the cities) shape the labour market with seasonal and year-round jobs, along with a high rate of female employment and part-time work.

Oststeiermark

In recent decades, numerous activities have already been implemented to strengthen regional cooperation, such as initiatives by the state of Styria focused on equality and career orientation.

Steyr-Kirchdorf

The economic structure in the Steyr-Kirchdorf region is characterized by a 53% share of the industrial and commercial sector. Although key companies offer their own training facilities with an international focus, thereby promoting intercultural competence, the share of female employees in the production sector is on average only 23.7%.