This document discusses trends in employment rates among different age groups and potential ways to support older workers remaining in the workforce. The percentage of people with paying jobs declines significantly from 75% among those aged 18-34 to 34% among those aged 55+. Most people over 55 who do not have paying jobs have not looked for work in over two years, with nearly half not needing or wanting to work due to reasons like retirement or health issues. However, 29% of people over 55 would accept an appealing job offer. The document recommends ways to grow the labor force such as providing flexible work arrangements, investing in skills training, improving employment services, reforming pension systems, and combating age-based discrimination.

1. 1
Working Better with Age
November 2019

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“Over the next 50 years, all OECD countries will
experience a steep increase in the share of
elderly persons in the population and a large
decline in the share of the population of prime
working-age.”
OECD, Live Longer, Work Longer
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS

3. 3
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
75%
86%
34%
18-34 35-54 55+
The Percentage of Each Group With a Paying Job

4. 4
66% of people over 55 reported they
don’t have paying work.
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS

5. 5
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
92% of people over 55 who did not
have a paying job did not look for
work.

6. 6
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
Why?
Of that group,
92% have not
looked for
work in two
years
66% do not
have a paying
job

7. 7
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
47%
33%
12%
3%
5%
Don’t need or want to work Retired Health issues Other Too old

8. 8
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
29%
65%
5%
Yes No Don't know
29 percent of
people over 55
would accept an
appealing job
offer.

9. 9
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
44,00029%
148,000
people
between 55
and 75 years

10. 10
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS
44,000
workers

11. HOW TO SUPPORT OLDER WORKERS
Growing the Labour Force

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We can grow the workforce by removing
barriers and increasing their retirement
choices.
GROWING THE LABOUR FORCE

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1. Provide flexible arrangements
“Older workers tend to have caring responsibilities, be it for
spouses, grandchildren or other family members. To
accommodate working later in life, employers should consider
offering flexible working arrangements which allow for
example, part-time or flexible hours and work from home.”
PWC, 2018 PwC Golden Age Index
GROWING THE LABOUR FORCE

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2. Invest in skills and jobs training
“It seems that neither employers nor their older workers see great
benefits to investing much in training to upgrade skills.”
J. Martin, Live Longer, Work Longer: The Changing Nature of the Labour Market for Older Workers in OECD Countries
GROWING THE LABOUR FORCE

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3. Improve employment services
If employment services are not ready to deal with the unique
challenges of older workers, older workers will struggle. That struggle
will manifest in either prolonged periods of unemployment or a
premature exit from the labour force.
GROWING THE LABOUR FORCE

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4. Penson reform
Two common approaches to pension reform
include:
1. Reduce public benefits
2. Raise the pensionable age
GROWING THE LABOUR FORCE

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5. Combat age-based discrimination
• Introduce or strengthen anti-age discrimination
• Launch information campaigns
• Support employers and their education
GROWING THE LABOUR FORCE