scholarly journals Older workers in Australia: The myths, the realities and the battle over workforce ‘flexibility’

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Kossen ◽  
Cec Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Workforce Participation ◽  
Deficit Model ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
Workforce Flexibility ◽  
The Government ◽  
And Control

AbstractA decisive 2004 fourth term win for the Howard Government and control over the Senate provided the Australian government with a mandate to further deregulate the labour market in the name of ‘flexibility’. This paper uses a critical perspective to challenge the wisdom of neo-liberal market economics as the driving force behind the rapid expansion of non-traditional ‘flexible’ forms of work and the persistence of a deficit model/perspective that continues to devalue the human capital value of older workers. It is argued that these trends will contribute to ongoing under utilisation of ‘older’ labour and intensification of skill shortages, in part, as a result of lack of investment in maintaining human capital. In responding to Australia's rapidly ageing workforce the Howard Government has adopted modest measures designed to counter age based discrimination and encourage workforce participation. However, participation rates among older workers in Australia have remained one of the lowest among Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries. This paper argues that the Government's labour market deregulation policies are reducing the availability of jobs that provide sufficient working conditions and remuneration to make workforce participation attractive. The erosion of employment conditions associated with ‘flexible’ workforce reform leads to underemployment, an employment outcome that often fails to meet the needs of many older workers. More recently, however, the Government has embarked on reforms that appear to provide genuine incentives aimed specifically at attracting workforce participation by older workers, but unfortunately these are by and large confined to those aged 60 years and over.

scholarly journals Older workers in Australia: The myths, the realities and the battle over workforce ‘flexibility’

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Kossen ◽  
Cec Pedersen
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Workforce Participation ◽  
Deficit Model ◽  
Employment Conditions ◽  
Workforce Flexibility ◽  
The Government ◽  
And Control

AbstractA decisive 2004 fourth term win for the Howard Government and control over the Senate provided the Australian government with a mandate to further deregulate the labour market in the name of ‘flexibility’. This paper uses a critical perspective to challenge the wisdom of neo-liberal market economics as the driving force behind the rapid expansion of non-traditional ‘flexible’ forms of work and the persistence of a deficit model/perspective that continues to devalue the human capital value of older workers. It is argued that these trends will contribute to ongoing under utilisation of ‘older’ labour and intensification of skill shortages, in part, as a result of lack of investment in maintaining human capital. In responding to Australia's rapidly ageing workforce the Howard Government has adopted modest measures designed to counter age based discrimination and encourage workforce participation. However, participation rates among older workers in Australia have remained one of the lowest among Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries. This paper argues that the Government's labour market deregulation policies are reducing the availability of jobs that provide sufficient working conditions and remuneration to make workforce participation attractive. The erosion of employment conditions associated with ‘flexible’ workforce reform leads to underemployment, an employment outcome that often fails to meet the needs of many older workers. More recently, however, the Government has embarked on reforms that appear to provide genuine incentives aimed specifically at attracting workforce participation by older workers, but unfortunately these are by and large confined to those aged 60 years and over.

scholarly journals Employers Size Wage Differential: Does Investment in Human Capital Matter?

2009 ◽  
Vol 48 (4II) ◽  
pp. 509-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zafar Mueen Nasir ◽  
Nasir Iqbal
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Capital Investment ◽  
Wage Differential ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Strong Positive Relationship ◽  
The Government ◽  
Areas Of Interest

Wage differential due to employer size is one of the key areas of interest in labour market research because a strong positive relationship between employer size and wages has been observed in developed and developing countries. It is, however, relatively neglected area of research in Pakistan. The purpose of present study is to investigate the employer size wage differential by looking at human capital factors. The study is based on standard methodology and estimates earning functions on Labour Force Survey (LFS) data for year 2007-08. Results clearly show that human capital investment has a bigger role in determining wages in the larger firms as compared to smaller firms. The main policy implications emanating from the analysis are the higher investment in skill which increases opportunities for workers in the labour market for higher wages and for jobs with good characteristics especially in large sized firms. The government policy towards education and skill formation needs serious reforms and better allocation of funds so that people get chance to enhance their skill level hence wages. JEL classification: J31, J40, J24 Keywords: Wage Differential, Human Capital, Labour Market

scholarly journals Persons of Pre-Retirement Age in the Labour Market: Employment Problems and Support Measures

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 1178-1192
Author(s):  
Natalya A. Chernykh ◽  
Anna N. Tarasova ◽  
Andrey E. Syrchin
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Pension Reform ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Age Discrimination ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Retirement Age ◽  
Support Measures ◽  
Employment Sector ◽  
The Government

The problem of age discrimination in the labour sector has become even more relevant, as the increase in the retirement age and the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia reinforce ageism. The article aims to assess the incidence of age discrimination in the labour market of the Sverdlovsk Region and examine employers’ behaviour towards people nearing retirement. The mixed methodology includes quantitative (analysis of statistics, questionnaire survey, content analysis) and qualitative (in-depth interviews with employers) research methods. While in the 1990s age discrimination was evident and expressed in the exclusion of older workers from the employment sector, now age discrimination is latent and has different manifestations. The results showed that people aged over 45 have less job opportunities in the labour market. Thus, most of them choose to maintain employment. This strategy, however, does not protect against other discriminatory practices such as displacement to less paid positions, reduced pay rate, etc. This situation leads to the decrease in the average wage of workers aged 50-55 by approximately 25%. We can conclude that employers did not change their behaviour and continue using discriminatory practices to maximise the return on human capital, shifting the risks of pension reform to employees. The government is trying to smooth over the differences between the effectiveness of the regional economic system, focused on maximising the use of regional human resources, and the effectiveness of individual organisations by protecting labour rights and promoting the employment of people nearing retirement. However, the government support measures mainly focus on training or retraining of people aged over 50, while employers lack economic incentives to reconsider their attitude towards older workers. Thus, we recommend developing governmental mechanisms for encouraging employers to change their personnel policy concerning employees aged over 50.

scholarly journals ‘Rusty, invisible and threatening’: ageing, capital and employability

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dina Bowman ◽  
Michael McGann ◽  
Helen Kimberley ◽  
Simon Biggs
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Human Capital Theory ◽  
Job Skills ◽  
Narrative Interviews ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Gender And Age

Levels of mature-age unemployment and under-employment are increasing in Australia, with older jobseekers spending longer unemployed than younger jobseekers. This article focuses on two key explanations of the difficulties confronting older jobseekers: human capital theory, which focuses on the obsolescence of older workers’ job skills, and ageism in employment. Drawing upon narrative interviews with older Australians, it critically engages with both these understandings. Using a Bourdieusian analysis, it shows how ageing intersects with the deployment of different forms of capital that are valued within particular labour market fields to shape older workers’ ‘employability’. By examining how class, gender and age intersect to structure experiences of marginalization, it questions conventional analyses that see older workers as discriminated against simply because they are older.

scholarly journals Werkgevers worstelen met Abraham (en Sara): 50-plussers nog weinig in tel

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilma Henderikse ◽  
Kène Henkens ◽  
Joop Schippers
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Personnel Policies

Samenvatting Employers struggling with older workers The ageing of the Dutch work force proceeds rapidly. An increasing share of Dutch employers now has to face the consequences of an ageing staff. Many employers are not very optimistic about these consequences: they foresee increasing costs if their personnel grows older, while these increasing costs are not offset by increasing benefits. Yet, personnel policies towards older workers can be characterised as ‘accommodating’: older workers are being spared (less overtime, no nightshifts) and are being granted additional facilities (more holidays, more relaxed working hours). Only few organisations invest in older workers’ human capital. So, personnel policies actually contribute to the imbalance between costs and benefits of an ageing work force. In addition, employers do not consider older workers a key factor to combat current and future labour market shortages.

scholarly journals Retirement in a global labour market: a call for abolishing the fixed retirement age

2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 464-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yehuda Baruch ◽  
Susan Sayce ◽  
Andros Gregoriou
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Financial Analysis ◽  
Current System ◽  
National Level ◽  
Retirement Age ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore potential benefits and possible pitfalls of the removal of the default retirement age. Design/methodology/approach – A human capital and labour market perspective provide theoretical lenses for exploring the potential implications for individuals, organizations and societies. The paper employs financial costing analysis to demonstrate. Findings – The paper uses the UK case to illustrate anticipated managerial and societal outcomes. The main finding from the discussion and the financial analysis is that indeed the current system is unsustainable. Originality/value – The paper offers areas where lessons about age management can be learnt from other experiences of flexible retirement strategies such as enhancing older workers ' human capital. The idea is of global nature and relevance and forms a “wake-up call” for decision makers at national level.

scholarly journals Older workers and employer-provided training in the Netherlands: a vignette study

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 1995-2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARIA FLEISCHMANN ◽  
FERRY KOSTER
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Cost Reduction ◽  
Vignette Study ◽  
The Government ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Vignette Experiment ◽  
Exchange Relations

ABSTRACTOlder workers throughout Europe are increasingly expected to participate longer in the labour market. While training appears to increase workers’ employability, prior research indicates that employers are less prone to provide training with increasing age of the workers. In this study, we aim to provide a better understanding of what affects employers’ considerations. We conduct a vignette experiment among Dutch employers to investigate how the government and workers themselves can exert influence on employers’ willingness to provide training. Our analyses show that employers’ provision of training declines with workers’ age, and additionally reveal two mitigating mechanisms. First, government reimbursements appear to work as a buffer: when reimbursements are offered, the decline in employers’ willingness to offer training is less pronounced throughout workers’ careers. Second, workers’ interest in training has a delaying effect: when workers are interested in training, employers’ willingness to provide training remains rather stable until workers are aged about 55, and decreases only afterwards. This contrasts the constant decline with age when workers had no interest in training. Our findings emphasise that employers’ considerations cannot be understood without taking the context into account, because governments and workers can affect employers’ decisions through cost reduction and social exchange relations, respectively. More research is needed to disentangle other possible underlying mechanisms.

scholarly journals Older Workers in Changing Social Policy Patterns

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Burnay
Keyword(s):  
Labour Market ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Early Retirement ◽  
Employment Rate ◽  
Aging Workforce ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Social ◽  
Widespread Phenomenon ◽  
The Government ◽  
Relevant Factors

Compared to other European countries, the employment rate of older workers in Belgium is rather low. This paper argues that one of the most relevant factors underlying the problems of this low employment rate in Belgium is the social policies directed at older workers. Indeed, when unemployment became a widespread phenomenon in the1970s and 80s, early-retirement schemes were designed to alleviate the financial implications on an aging workforce. The government encouraged anyone over 50 to leave the labour market through early retirement schemes, unemployment payment programs, medical retirement, and career breaks. These practises were based on a wide consensus of government, business, and workers.However, for some years now, international organizations have been concerned about the viability of pension systems and their ability to achieve their objectives. In recent years, different factors have led policy makers to rethink this policy. But changing the trend and keeping people on the job has proven more difficult than foreseen. The transformations of public policies begun at the dawn of the 21st century radically changed the balance between the state, workers, and employers, who had all previously seen early retirement as favourable. This paper also tries to show how early retirement is not simply a desire to escape, but can also be explained as an aggression against the person by the labour market. Leaving professional life early thus seems more to be a case of necessity, in fact not a choice at all, but an obligation, or even a sacrifice, and must be seen in the perspective of professional duties and their evolution.

Flexibel werken: van disbalans naar evenwicht

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saskia Klosse
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Employment Contracts ◽  
Employment Contract ◽  
Labour Market Flexibility ◽  
Flexible Employment ◽  
The Government ◽  
Dismissal Protection

Labour market flexibility: clues for a better balance Labour market flexibility: clues for a better balance In order to strike a better balance between the advantages and the disadvantages of flexible forms of employment, the government intends to reform the existing dismissal protection and unemployment legislation, whilst at the same time taking initiatives to strengthen the position of those on flexible employment contracts. The question is, however, whether this double aim can be achieved with the measures proposed by the government. Are they capable of tackling the underlying problems effectively? In this article it will be argued that addressing the existing imbalance calls for a broader approach, focusing on fostering investments in human capital, more flexibility in the traditional employment contract and successful transitions in the labour market.

Wat bepaalt het succes van allochtonen op de arbeidsmarkt?

2009 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaap de Koning ◽  
Olivier Tanis ◽  
José Gravesteijn-Ligthelm
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Cultural Capital ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Ethnic Minorities ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Social And Cultural Capital ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
The Government ◽  
Positive Factor

What determines the success that ethnic minorities have in the labour market? What determines the success that ethnic minorities have in the labour market? Ethnic minorities hold a much stronger position in the labour market nowadays than they used to some time ago. This improvement started in the middle of the 1990s and is visible in both an absolute sense as well as in relation to the indigenous Dutch. Approximately half the potential labour force of ethnic minorities has a job. Most of these jobs are permanent, are paid well above the statutory minimum wage and are of average professional level. This article addresses the central issue of why some members of ethnic minorities are successful in the labour market while others are not. The analyses are based on surveys of ethnic minorities in 2002 and 2003 and point to the important role human capital plays in determining the success in the labour market. Social and cultural capital are also of importance here. At most half of the variance of the variables indicating success can be explained by the estimated models, suggesting that other factors also play a role. Interviews with almost a hundred members of ethnic minorities who are successful in the labour market indicate that psychological factors and persistence are probably important here too. A large number of respondents mentioned the stimulating role played by their parents and families, however, the latter's level of education did not seem to be relevant. Successful ethnic minority members often worked for companies that offered them opportunities. This could also be regarded as a factor for success. Finally, many members of ethnic minorities did not consider the government to have been a positive factor in their success.

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