A row has broken out in Austria after a company tried to recruit workers born under certain star signs.
The Salzburg insurance company posted an advert in major newspapers seeking employees for sales and management that were born under certain constellations, claiming statistics indicated that they were the best workers.
'We are looking for people over 20 for part-time jobs in sales and management with the following star signs: Capricorn, Taurus, Aquarius, Aries and Leo,' read the ad that appeared over the weekend.
It was followed by a wave of protests from equality groups and led to an investigation by the country’s anti-discrimination authorities.
The company is, however, sticking to its guns and a spokesman explained that the move was based on statistical research rather than superstition.
'A statistical study indicated that almost all of our best employees across Austria have one of the five star signs.
'We only decided to continue with that system and hire the best workers,' the spokesman said.
An investigation by Austrian authorities showed that there was nothing illegal in choosing the employees according to their star signs, as there was no discrimination according to existing laws about gender, age, racial and other equality.
A spokeswoman for the employee’s association of Salzburg told local TV: 'When an employer considers star signs and says: "I want to only hire Pisces, for an example, it must be assumed that within this group of people born under the sign of Pisces there are old and young people, women and women etc.
'It does appear like a certain limitation, but it is not discrimination.'
