Register at the office, write applications, submit forms – going to the AMS is associated with a lot. Knowing everything is now all the more important.
The effects of the corona crisis have already destroyed many jobs. Young people in particular are at risk. You could have problems entering your professional life. At the end of January, a total of 535,470 people were registered as unemployed with the AMS or are in training, around 115,000 unemployed people lost their jobs due to the corona pandemic. Another 470,000 people are currently on short-time work during the crisis.
The situation is also extremely challenging for the AMS advisors, who are at the attack in many places. But care is important. The registered job seekers have to pay attention to a lot so that they receive their unemployment benefit and do not risk a reduction or suspension of payments. What the experts say: The worst thing is simply not to report and bear the loss of wages yourself. Registration on the first day of unemployment is urgently required.
Anyone who lives in Austria and is already unemployed can register as unemployed – or knows the day on which the employment relationship ends. However, if possible, only those who have an appointment with an advisor should come to an AMS office. The rest of the communication can be conducted digitally via the eAMS account or by telephone via the AMS hotlines of the federal states. You can also register as unemployed online or by email to the responsible AMS office, according to the Public Employment Service.
“Until further notice, neither the initial information events for new customers nor the initial information events on the subject of re-entry will take place,” says the AMS website. Those affected are urgently advised to keep up to date with the latest developments and to react quickly to changes. Another important point: Your own documents should urgently be brought up to date.
When registering as unemployed, your name, social security number, full address, previous occupation and the period of your last employment as well as telephone number and email address must be given right at the beginning. If you register as unemployed on the first day, but do not provide complete or incorrect data, you run the risk of loss of benefits and health and pension insurance.
After registering as unemployed, there are two steps, counseling and job search. The AMS advises the unemployed and discusses with them the professional situation, training, professional goals and existing opportunities. The upcoming deadlines and dates are also set. Even before the first interview, job seekers should take action themselves and organize their résumé, rethink their job opportunities and, ideally, apply to potential employers independently.
The AMS then provides information on professions, training and further education and, if available, offers for vacancies. However, AMS customers expect an “active job search”, as it is called. This means: In addition to the positions proposed by the AMS, unemployed people should also look for jobs independently, search through job advertisements and also apply to companies that may not have advertised a position at all. A list of the applications that have been made must then be brought to the respective AMS consultations.
However, many applications are also mandatory, namely for those positions that the AMS passes on to those affected. A response to the “application status” is expected within eight days – this also includes a reason if the position appears to be “unreasonable”. However, those who simply do not apply for reasonable positions can be blocked from unemployment benefits for six or eight weeks. The same applies to unemployed people who miss deadlines or appointments, training courses and courses and do not report if they are unable to attend for important reasons.
For example, if you miss a control reporting date without a valid reason, you will not receive any money “from this day – until the day on which you personally report to your AMS”, according to the labor market service. Any changes in living conditions must also be reported, including relocations, minor activities, illness or the birth of a child. In these cases, depending on the severity, the consequences can be far more drastic and range from the suspension of the cash benefit to its repayment as well as fines and criminal charges. The Public Employment Service imposed a total of 93,199 bans in 2020.
Since January 25, new corona measures have also been in place in the AMS offices, including an FFP2 mask requirement and compliance with the new safety distance of two meters. The AMS can be reached by phone from Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you can, you should contact us by phone or via the eAMS account. “Sending the eAMS account access data currently takes a few days. Please do not request the access data again,” said the Public Employment Service.
