A recent WIFO Research Brief by Julia Bock-Schappelwein and Ulrike Famira-Mühlberger analyses the latest developments of women in the labour market and identifies options for measures to increase gender equality.

The WWWI in calendar week 7 was shaped by the lingering effects of the easing of restrictions and the opening of stores from 8 February 2021; according to provisional calculations, it was 8 percent lower than the same week last year. Compared with the previous week – the first week of easing – activity improved by around 1 percentage point.

The mood among Austrian companies remains sceptical. The WIFO business climate index continued to be negative in February at –11.0 points (seasonally adjusted), almost unchanged from the previous month.

The latest annual report of the Austrian Institute of Economic Research was published on 19 February 2020 and is now also available in digital form (in German). In 2020, WIFO analyzed the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, made proposals for economic policy measures and pointed out ways out of the crisis.