AK Study: Financial Situation of Young Viennese Deteriorates

The promise of prosperity and participation is increasingly slipping away from young residents of Vienna, says Ilkim Erdost, who leads the "Education, Consumers, Vienna" sectors at the Chamber of Labour (AK). The lack of voting rights for numerous young people poses a threat to democracy. "They feel unaffected by politics and have the impression that politics is for other people."

Satisfaction with Life and Housing Situation Among Young Viennese Has Decreased

According to a study by the Foresight Institute, based on the Vienna Quality of Life Study, the proportion of young Viennese who can barely or not at all make ends meet with their income rose from 16 percent in 2008 to 32 percent in 2023. Satisfaction with the housing situation has also deteriorated. In 2023, 23 percent rated the affordability of their housing as poor or very poor, and 16 percent were dissatisfied with the size of their housing. In 2008, it was only ten percent in each case.

Satisfaction with life has also decreased over the past twenty years, explained Martina Zandonella from the Foresight Institute. In 2003 and 2013, 42 and 43 percent of young people respectively stated they were "very satisfied." Ten years later, only 24 percent did so. Zandonella identifies the increased housing costs as the main reason for the poorer financial situation of young people. In addition, there have been sharply rising food and energy prices in the past five years.

More Than 40 Percent of Young Viennese Are Not Allowed to Vote

Another issue that the AK highlights is the low proportion of eligible voters. Around 185,000 of the approximately 418,000 Viennese (44 percent) aged 16 to 30 are not allowed to vote - even though many grew up or were even born in Vienna. In 2003, this applied to about one in four young Viennese. The need for participation is great. Almost every second person is involved "in the local community, in a club or NGO, in a citizen participation project, or in a party or citizens' initiative".

Against this background, the AK calls for the rapid implementation of the EU Income Transparency Directive "to ensure fairer pay". The establishment of works councils must be promoted and sufficient training places provided. In addition, there needs to be an initiative to upskill "people with low qualifications". For housing, there needs to be "penalties for rent usury and a fair rental law". Fixed-term rental contracts should become the exception. Furthermore, the AK wants easier access to subsidized housing for young people with low incomes.

Citizenship should "not be a question of the wallet"

With regard to naturalization, the AK is concerned about the high costs of the procedure and the high income barriers. Access to citizenship should "not be a question of the wallet," says Erdost. There needs to be a "debureaucratization of citizenship law" and facilitation for "people who grow up here". However, a complete abolition of income barriers is not being demanded. Political education should also become a separate subject in the lower and upper levels of all types of schools.

The study is based on data from around 1,400 young Viennese. The interviews were conducted until November 2023. Around two-thirds of the respondents have already moved out of their parental home, and one in ten has already started their own family, according to Zandonella. Around 60 percent are also employed.

(APA/Red)

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