The Changing Place of Work in Later Life

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The Changing Place of Work in Later Life

• Presented by Centre for Research into the Older
  Workforce and
• the Pre-Retirement Association
• Chair Tony Chiva (PRA/CROW)
• Stephen McNair, Matt Flynn, Lou Owen
• Tony Chiva
• Jan Shepherd, Clare Humphreys
• Mary Davies, Joanna Walker

50 Europe
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1. How far are older workers different?

• A national Omnibus Survey of 5400 job changers
  aged 20-69
• Spring 2003
• 1136 in 50-69 age range
• Examining
• job changes in last 5 years
• reason for change
• effects of change
• support for change
• usefulness of the support
• aspirations for work after retirement

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2. Developing a process strategy for implementing
age diversity and3. What will help older
workers with practical issues like getting work?

• 5 country EU (Leonardo) funded development
  project
• to develop
• a tool to help managers to manage an age diverse
  workforce
• a guidance tool for older people seeking work
• UK, France, Spain, Poland, Norway
• national partners collect good practice
• focus groups
• distil findings
• develop and pilot tools

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4. What is the missing curriculum for people over
50?

• carried out by Pre-Retirement Association
• support from Government
• are the learning needs of older people being met?
• focus groups with older people in Surrey
• development of a financial education tool with
  six companies

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How far are older workers different?

• Stephen McNair, Matt Flynn, Lynda Owen,
• Clare Humphreys, Steve Woodfield
• CROW - University of Surrey, UK

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What is the problem?

• We are living longer
• Life expectancy rose by 30 yrs in 20th century,
• 90 now live to State Pension Age compared to 66
  in 1950
• We are not replacing the workforce
• lowest ever birth rate (1.6 per woman),
• young people entering the workforce later,
• largest ever age cohort approaching retirement,
• ageing workforce a major constraint in 6/14
  occupational sectors
• We are saving less
• lowest ever savings rate,
• highest ever personal debt,
• average pension yield halved 2000-2003
• This is not sustainable people will have to
  work longer
• How can policy secure this?

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A cautionary note

• Age differences in cross sectional data are not
  necessarily age related differences
• The last 40 years have seen
• rising qualifications and educational standards
• feminisation of the workforce
• decline in low/unskilled, and manufacturing work
• increasing technology use
• declining unemployment

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Frequency of job change declines with age
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Career reasons dominate until 60s
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Externally imposed causes of change rise with age
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Increased responsibility, skills and hours
dominate until 60s when this reverses
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Qualifications and class count a model of the
older workforce

• Choosers
• Survivors
• Jugglers

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Choosers

• Highly qualified (mostly graduates)
• Professional/managerial
• Positive reasons for job change and retirement
• High incomes
• Home owners
• Stay or retire from choice and for interest
• 2/3 male

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Survivors

• Unqualified (50 have no qualifications)
• Routine/semi-routine work
• Most likely group to be divorced/separated
• Negative reasons for change and retirement
• Poor health
• If home owners - working / if renting - retired
• 2/3 male

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Jugglers

• Qualified (below degree)
• Spread across socio-economic range
• Home owners
• Working part-time
• Work in SMEs
• After retirement may take up voluntary work
• Almost all are married women

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How different are older workers in the UK?

• changes are trends, not steps, but accelerating
  in the late 50s
• mobility, positive job changes and participation
  in training decline with age
• career and money decline as motivators, but
  slowly
• social division increases reinforced by job
  change
• more people want to work part-time after
  retirement than do so

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Increasing labour market participation after 50
policy implications

• Recognise diversity
• Autonomy increases commitment
• Retention is easier than re-entry
• Flexible working and stress reduction help

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The Report

• www.surrey.ac.uk/education/crow/publications.htm

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Factors in the decision to retire

• State of the labour market
• Previous economic activity long term
  immediate
• Qualifications choice
• Class early retirement or long term sickness
• Financial commitments
• Synchronised spouses
• Caring roles
• Retirement aspirations gt50 would consider
  working longer on the right terms