English summary: Since the First World War, in most European countries labor offices have been established. Within a few years they have become indispensable social-political phenomenons of the European welfare states. Later, state-run labor market instruments played a key role in the dictatorships of Austria and other European countries and shaped the social policy of Japan and Brazil. In their overviews and contributions to specific aspects of the labor market, the authors focus on the history of the Austrian employment offices with the aim of placing them in a larger socio-political and international historical context. German description: In den meisten europaischen Staaten wurden seit dem Ersten Weltkrieg staatliche Arbeitsamter errichtet, die innerhalb weniger Jahre zu einem unverzichtbaren sozialpolitischen Phanomen der europaischen Wohlfahrtsstaaten wurden. Arbeitsmarktbehordliche Instrumente spielten in weiterer Folge in den Diktaturen Osterreichs und anderen europaischen Staaten eine tragende Rolle und pragten daruber hinaus die Sozialpolitik Japans und Brasiliens. Die Autoren beleuchten in Uberblicksdarstellungen und Beitragen zu speziellen arbeitsmarktpolitischen Aspekten die Geschichte der osterreichischen Arbeitsamter. Ziel dabei ist, sie in einen grosseren sozialhistorischen und internationalen Kontext zu stellen.Since the First World War, in most European countries labor offices have been established. Within a few years they have become indispensable social-political phenomenons of the European welfare states. Later, state-run labor market instruments played a key role in the dictatorships of Austria and other European countries and shaped the social policy of Japan and Brazil. In their overviews and contributions to specific aspects of the labor market, the authors focus on the history of the Austrian employment offices with the aim of placing them in a larger socio-political and international historical context.