11. 11. 09. - 11:00
Black market labour on the increase in Austria
By Lisa Chapman
Black market work has risen in Austria this year because of the economic crisis, according to a new study.
Research
by Linz University released today (Mon) said a growing number of
Austrians were "turning to black labour" to make up for falling legal
incomes.
The study added that higher fees and taxes and "sinking tax morality" had also been factors in the increase of illegal labour.
The
research also claimed that illegal labour will cost the official
economy 20.5 billion Euros in 2009 compared to 19.92 million in 2008,
an increase of around five per cent.
The news comes after the
Austrian Office for Control of Illegal Employment (KIAB) announced
earlier this year it had handed out more than 15 million Euros in fines
after finding 5,720 illegally-employed foreigners at companies in the
first half of the year.
People’s Party (ÖVP) State Secretary for
Finance Reinhold Lopatka said the 14,622 firms employing them had been
fined 15.87 million Euros.
He added that the percentage of
illegally-employed foreigners among all employed people at those firms
had been 16.22 per cent - 5,720 of 35,269 workers.
Lopatka warned the situation would become worse in the recession. "Opposition to paying taxes increases in a crisis," he said.
