This FDI Qualities Review of Austria provides an assessment of the contribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) to gender equality and women’s empowerment. Chapter 1 sets the scene by describing recent trends of FDI in Austria and its contribution to economic growth, the integration in the global economy, as well as to productivity, innovation, and the low-carbon transition. Chapter 2 examines key indicators of gender equality in the labour market in Austria, highlighting the remaining challenges and the benefits that can be derived from closing gender gaps. The chapter also provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of FDI on several dimensions of gender equality, including employment, wages, skills development, career progression, and entrepreneurship.
The review was prepared by the OECD in co‑ordination with the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy. Leveraging the recommendations of the OECD Economic Survey of Austria 2015 and the OECD FDI Qualities Policy Toolkit, it aims to help Austria understand how FDI contributes to gender equality in its labour market and identify areas where policy action may be needed. This review supports the implementation of the OECD Council Recommendation on FDI Qualities, adopted by OECD Ministers in 2022.
This review was prepared by Letizia Montinari and Katharina Laengle of the Investment Division in the OECD Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs, under the overall guidance of Ana Novik, Head of the Investment Division and Martin Wermelinger, Head of Investment Qualities and Incentives Unit. Manfred Schekulin and Jan-Michael van Linthoudt, from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy, were instrumental to this project and provided guidance to the OECD team. The report benefited from discussions with and comments from Alexandre De Crombrugghe, Stephen Thomsen, Valentina Patrini, and experts from the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy.