Abstract
One of the key responses to population ageing in the UK has been an increase in
the state pension age, which has created an expectation that older workers stay
in employment for longer. For employers, one important consideration when
retaining and recruiting older rather than younger workers is the relative
productivity of these workers. Whilst the empirical evidence on the relationship
between age and productivity is inconclusive, the evidence for the vulnerability
of older workers in the labour market is strong. Van Dalen et al. (2010) found
that both employers and employees rate the productivity of older workers
substantially lower than that of younger workers, but they have different
desirable attributes and skills. The perceived comparative advantage of older
workers lies in their organisational commitment, reliability and social skills,
whereas the perceived comparative advantage of younger workers relates to
their flexibility, physical and mental capacity and willingness to learn new
technological skills.
the state pension age, which has created an expectation that older workers stay
in employment for longer. For employers, one important consideration when
retaining and recruiting older rather than younger workers is the relative
productivity of these workers. Whilst the empirical evidence on the relationship
between age and productivity is inconclusive, the evidence for the vulnerability
of older workers in the labour market is strong. Van Dalen et al. (2010) found
that both employers and employees rate the productivity of older workers
substantially lower than that of younger workers, but they have different
desirable attributes and skills. The perceived comparative advantage of older
workers lies in their organisational commitment, reliability and social skills,
whereas the perceived comparative advantage of younger workers relates to
their flexibility, physical and mental capacity and willingness to learn new
technological skills.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Policies for an Ageing Workforce |
| Subtitle of host publication | Work-life balance, working conditions and equal opportunities, Report of a CEPS – NIESR – FACTAGE and Eurofound conference |
| Editors | Mikkel Barslund |
| Place of Publication | Brussels |
| Publisher | Centre for European Policy Studies |
| Pages | 38-43 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-94-6138-753-0 |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Population ageing
- State pension age
- Increase in state pension age
- older workers
- younger workers
- older versus younger workers
- relative productivity of older workers
- vulnerability of older workers