More than 8,000 East Europe job-seekers arrive in Austria

(VIENNA) - More than 8,000 jobseekers from eastern Europe have registered for work in Austria since it opened up its labour market to its east European neighbours last month, the labour ministry said Thursday.

Both Austria and Germany opened up their labour markets fully to EU newcomer countries from May 1 and since then, 3,000 Hungarians, 2,500 Poles, 1,500 Slovakians, 650 Slovenians and 800 Czechs have registered for work in Austria, Labour Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer said in a statement.

That brings the total number of eastern Europeans working in Austria to 84,855.

"That can hardly be called a massive influx from these countries," Hundstorfer said.

The minister pointed out that, with unemployment on the decline in Austria, the economic upturn means that east European jobseekers "will have no problem in finding work here."

Many of them were employed as seasonal workers "and so they are not vying with Austrians for jobs," Hundstorfer said.

For the whole of 2011, Austria is expecting an influx of 20,000-25,000 jobseekers from its east European neighbours.