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Giving people better choices and incentives to continue working at an older age is crucial for responding to the challenges of rapid population ageing. Analysis has led to the creation of the OECD Recommendation of the Council on Ageing and Employment Policies. A brief of the Recommendation presents some key facts and figures & summarises the main policy lessons.  

RECENT PUBLICATIONS
NEW! The transition towards a green economy, the rapid development of new digital technologies and cultural change are some of the forces disrupting traditional career paths, resulting in more fluid and diversified career trajectories. To benefit from increased longevity, workers will increasingly have to consider job mobility at middle and older ages, changing jobs or careers more frequently than in the past. Making successful career transitions, however, tends to be more difficult for workers at older ages due to health issues, unfamiliarity with relevant technology or a lack of recent job search experience. This may result in a mismatch between the types of jobs they want and the jobs that employers may provide. This report presents evidence on recent trends in career mobility and the consequences for individual workers in terms of pay and other job characteristics. It identifies key employer and public policies that can help facilitate career mobility that results in better employment choices at older ages. This requires overcoming discriminatory views towards older workers, improving job flexibility choices and ensuring that government policy supports voluntary career mobility.
This report, was Launched on 9 October by the OECD and Generation, a global employment non-profit network, teamed up to develop new research based on a survey of thousands of employed and unemployed people and hiring managers in eight countries: the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Romania, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The report sheds light on the job preferences, beliefs of mid-career and older workers and the obstacles they face to stay longer in the labour market. It also presents key insights from employers on their recruitment preferences, engagement with and attitudes towards hiring older workers.  The evidence presented in this report aims to foster a more inclusive and resilient labour market for workers at all stages of their careers.
Promoting Active Ageing in Lithuania, Policy Challenges and Solutions, (June 2023).   This report takes a holistic approach to analyse Active Ageing policies in Lithuania in three dimensions: labour market inclusion, social policies, and participation in public and political life. It provides tailored policy recommendations to improve the well-being of older people in Lithuania in terms of better employment and lifelong learning outcomes, stronger integration in society, and participation in democratic institutions and processes.
Retaining Talent at All Ages, (January 2023).  This report presents evidence on recent trends in job tenure and employee turnover, how they have changed due to the COVID-19 shock and sheds light on why employees quit their jobs. It identifies key employer and public policies that can support increased employment retention through better job quality, health at the workplace, and training and skills.   Listen to the Podcast with Shruti Singh and Lona Choi-Allum (English only)

IMPLEMENTING AGEING REFORMS

The ELS Ageing and Employment Policies Team of the OECD and the DG REFORM of the European Commission are cooperating in providing technical support to countries that want to reform their senior workers conditions.

Promoting Active Ageing in Lithuania (2022-2023), brochure

Enhancing the Digital Skills of Seniors in the Slovak Republic (2022-2024) 

BUSINESS CASE and employer practices for longer working lives 

Career Paths and Engagement of Mature Workers (March 2024)

This brochure serves as a valuable resource for employers seeking to cultivate fulfilling careers and sustain engagement among their ageing workforce. It identifies three key dimensions—career development services, continuous skills enhancement, and flexible work arrangements—that are highly effective in this endeavor. Drawing on case studies of companies implementing such initiatives, the brochure provides actionable insights into harnessing the potential of mature workers to drive organizational success.

Promoting an Age-Inclusive Workforce - Living, Learning and Earning Longer - en, (December 2020) 

This report presents a business case for embracing greater age diversity at the workplace and debunks several myths about generational differences in work performance, attitudes and motivations towards work. It points to key employer policies and offers practical examples in three key areas to support and promote an age-inclusive workforce. This includes designing and putting in place all-age and life-stage policies covering the full span of workers careers through best practice in recruitment, retention and retirement, as well as the promotion of life-long learning and good health at work.

COUNTRY CASE STUDIES ON AGEING AND EMPLOYMENT and synthesis report

Key policies to promote longer working lives in Eu Members 

The late career scoreboard presents key quantitative indicators and compares each EU member situation in 2006, before the economic and social crisis, with 2016 as well with the EU and OECD averages. It is a useful barometer of the extent of labour market inclusion of older workers.

• Late career scoreboard, 2006 and 2016, 28 EU Members (in Excel) 

The policy toolkit highlights good practices among EU members to encourage employers to retain and hire older workers and to promote the employability of workers in their mid- to late careers.

• Policy toolkit of good practices (in Excel)

The 'country notes' present key policies to promote longer working lives implemented in each EU member over the past decade.  An assessment of the extent to which each EU member has progressed in implementing effective measures is included. 

further reading 

• Towards More Inclusive Ageing and Employment Policies: The Lessons from France, The Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland, De Economist, December 2014, Volume 162.
• All in it together? The experience of different labour market groups following the crisis, OECD Employment Outlook 2013, Chapter 1.
• Pensions at a Glance 2017
• A method for calculating the average effective age of retirement.
• Live Longer, Work Longer, published in 2006.

events and launches 

• New ! Promoting Better Career Choices for Longer Working Lives: Stepping up not stepping out (11 March 2024), Agenda
  
• Midcareer Report Launch and Workshop "Forstering a Multigererational Workforce: Challenges, Evidence and Gaps" (9-10 October 2023) Agenda, Presentation

CONTACT

employment.contact@oecd.org