Latest news with #olderworkers
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
'It really is hard for older job seekers to find work at the moment'
Older workers are finding it increasingly difficult to find work. Photo: RNZ Dozens of people are signing up to a job site for older workers every day, with more and more of them noticeably struggling to find jobs over the past nine months. Wellington Pools is looking for a lifeguard who is more than 50 years old, according to an advertisement which told applicants to "forget your preconceptions of what lifeguard looks like... we want people from all stages of life". But the team behind the seniors at work website says with 7000 registered jobseekers over the age of 50, they need many more opportunities like this to match the spike in people looking. Seniors at Work Founder Ian Fraser said the general slow down in recruitment increasingly impacts older workers. Fraser told Checkpoint they were getting between 50 and 100 new people signing up to the site every day. "It's definitely gone up and I have to say unfortunately, that in the last especially six to nine months, I've had more and more job seekers who are struggling, contact me and ask for assistance and advice." He said the increase was a huge jump from what they were seeing just over nine months ago. "That figure has gone up probably at least 50 percent." Fraser said the tough economic climate was making it incredibly tough for older jobseekers, and while the same issues were also affecting young people looking for work, unemployment has different implications as people aged. "Let's not forget the 50 and overs who are also struggling and they've got to put food on the table.... they've got mortgages, their health costs are increasing... it really is hard for older job seekers to find work at the moment." While New Zealand's ageing population was contributing to the issue, Fraser said the economic environment was having a bigger impact on the issue. "We're fitter, healthier, we're living longer. So we either want to work or we need to work. "There are a lot more people in the older age brackets that are working now than there were 20 years ago. The number has gone up quite drastically, but there are still an awful lot out there that are really looking for work and need to work." Fraser said misconceptions about older workers - which often were not true - often hindered their ability to get a job. "A lot of people say [older people] are not tech savvy, that comes up all the time... whilst it might be fair to say that some people struggle, a lot don't struggle." As for those who were struggling to keep up with changes in the workforce, Fraser said there were easy fixes. "If you get an opportunity to do some retraining, take that opportunity. Don't ever ignore it. And even if you're not working, there are courses out there that are generally free and if you see one of those and you might be lacking in a certain skill do take advantage of that." Currently the site has about 80 different job listings, which includes about 10 employers who are actively seeking older workers. "They've got jobs that are listed where they are openly encouraging and welcoming older people to apply for those jobs, and there's some fantastic brands in that lot. "So there are opportunities out there and there are companies and employers that want to encourage older workers and are very, very supportive." Fraser said the company would love to welcome more employers to assist in helping get more seniors back into work. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Older jobseekers struggling to find employment
Wellington Pools is looking for a lifeguard over 50 years old according to an advertisement, which told applicants "forget your preconceptions of what lifeguard looks want people from all stages of life." But a job site for older workers looking for jobs said with 7000 registered jobseekers over the age of 50, they need more opportunities like this to match the spike in people looking. The team behind the seniors at work website say they have noticed more and more older workers have been struggling over the last nine months and a slow down in recruitment generally especially impacts them. Seniors at Work Founder Ian Fraser spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.
Telegraph
09-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Older workers urged to delay retirement to save economy
Older Britons will need to work for longer if the UK is to avoid an economic slowdown, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has warned. As Britain's population ages, its GDP per capita will grow at just 0.41pc a year between now and 2060, almost half the rate of the past two decades, the OECD said. But this slowdown could be almost completely avoided, or even reversed, if a bigger share of Britons in their 60s stick it out in the workforce, up from an employment rate of 58pc now. In its Employment Outlook report the OECD said: 'The United Kingdom is marked [from other rich countries] by the striking contribution that improving older worker employment could make.' Among the 38 countries in the OECD, a Paris-based policymaking club for advanced economies, Britain has one of the highest rates of 'job strain' among older workers, behind only Latvia. In Britain, 15pc of workers aged 55 to 64 suffer job strain, which means the stress and demands of their role outweigh the aspects that motivate them or help them cope. This makes these workers less willing to remain in the labour market throughout their 60s. ' Improving job quality can be an important aspect to better retention of older workers in the labour market,' the OECD said. The report cited studies showing that older workers put a higher premium on autonomy and flexible work practices than their younger colleagues. Older workers are also more likely to quit the workforce if their job involves 'high physical demands such as heavy lifting, awkward postures, or fast work pace', it said. Britain's other challenge is that people are less likely to work in their 60s if they did not work, or worked only intermittently, in their 50s. At 55, a quarter of Britons are not in employment, according to analysis by the Centre for Ageing Better. That drops to more than a third by age 60, and more than half by 64. At the state pension age of 66, only 30pc remain in work. Of those aged 50 to 65 and not working, 41pc cite sickness or disability, while 31pc are retired. Of the rest, 12pc are home-makers and 6pc are unemployed and looking for work. The OECD said governments could introduce policies that encourage employers to hire workers in their 50s, or ensure a level playing field with younger generations. This would eventually prop up the employment rate among older workers. Old-age dependency In Britain, the government is pushing the state pension age to 67 as a down-payment on bolstering the size of the grey workforce. The OECD said other countries that had raised the pension age had seen a big boost in older workers sticking to their jobs. When the Netherlands gradually ratcheted up the state pension age from 65 to 66 during the 2010s, this delivered a 21 percentage point increase in the employment rate of people in their late 60s. Austria and Germany also experienced double-digit gains. The OECD also canvassed other options such as flexible pensionable ages or semi-retirement options, but said the evidence of success varied. Britain is among the OECD countries with most to gain from keeping older people in the workforce. Almost 70pc of the improvement the UK could potentially make to its overall employment rate would come from retaining older workers, with the rest coming from greater workforce participation by women, disabled people and migrants. But Britain starts from a strong position: its old-age dependency ratio, which is the proportion of over-65s versus the working-age population, is in the mid-30s and is forecast to be 49pc by 2060 – one of the lowest in the developed world. The OECD said Britain's dependency ratio had benefited from the influx of working-age Europeans in the early 2000s after Poland and the Baltic countries joined the EU.
Forbes
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
What Netflix's Nonnas Quietly Teaches Leaders About Wisdom
Photo byIn Nonnas, the 2025 Netflix dramedy featuring Vince Vaughn as Brooklyn's Joe Scaravella—the real-world story of a city employee mourning the loss of his mother, who decides to rebuild his life by opening a Staten Island restaurant—the kitchen symbolizes the clueless side of many of today's organizations. In the film, Italian grandmothers are hired to cook and revive recipes and dishes from the past in Scaravella's new restaurant. Unexpectedly, at least to me, these nonnas serve as a model of what leaders can do differently. While the plot may follow Scaravella's real-life loss, what lingers is something else entirely: the nonna's newfound purpose found through contribution, identity sustained through the employment of their experience, and the sense of community deepened by the transfer of their gained wisdom. Older Workers as Contributors, Not Ghosts At Enoteca Maria—the namesake restaurant of Scaravella's now-deceased mother—the nonnas manage the menu, calibrate sauces and pasta by intuition, and lead the kitchen service with confidence. They cook, teach, dance, and regale others with their deep cuts' menu items. There's even a little imbibing of limoncello. In one scene, Lorraine Bracco's Sicilian cook character and Brenda Vaccaro's Bolognese counterpart engage in a playful culinary tiff rooted in regional pride and mutual affection. It's a moment that underscores how experience and humor can build camaraderie. Many organizations mistake this sort of elderly impact by assigning older workers to advisory roles. Worse, they exit them from the organization, depicting them as too expensive or too slow. Nonnas demonstrates how wisdom can matter when it is actively applied. A flashback scene with Scaravella's mother, Maria, cements another lesson, one of something every leader ought to employ: learning by doing. Maria looks into the camera while plating the 'gravy,' also known as spaghetti sauce, and states, 'One does not grow old at the table.' Those words shift from sentiment to a calling card for today's leaders. It is through experience, conversation, and collaboration that wisdom can grow on your team. Indeed, data reinforces that 'the times they are a-changin'.' At least demographically. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the share of workers aged 65 and older in the labor force is projected to account for nearly 60 percent of total labor force growth between 2022 and 2032. The labor force participation rate for adults aged 75 and older has also increased steadily, reaching 8.3 percent in 2023 and is projected to rise to 10.1 percent by 2033. In Canada, the labor force participation rate for those aged 70 and older more than doubled from approximately 3.0% in 2000 to 6.7% in 2023, according to Statistics Canada. Add to that plummeting birth rates, and, eventually, the wisdom of older workers will become unequivocally necessary in your organization. Culture Emerges Through Experience & Knowledge In an interview with TIME Magazine, Scaravella captures the sentiment of older workers and their positive effect on corporate culture sublimely: 'This is not a restaurant,' he says. 'It walks like a restaurant, smells like a restaurant, talks like a restaurant, but it's not a restaurant. It's a cultural exchange.' That declaration reframes Enoteca Maria as a living ecosystem of cultural exchange rather than a venue simply for food delivery. Too many corporate cultures rest on glossy posters, mission statements, and hollow slogans of purpose. They further demonstrate their lack of foresight when they push experience out of the building. Culture does not swap easily for slogans. It requires presence, patience, and a plan for knowledge transfer. While many organizations recognize the importance of knowledge transfer, i4cp research highlights that most still struggle to implement effective programs and processes to capture and share critical knowledge, with significant challenges remaining in fostering a strong learning culture and eliminating silos. At Enoteca Maria, culture lives in each shift: the rhythm of risotto, the turn of tagliatelle, and the pass of the ladle. Lessons are not delivered; they are demonstrated between the nonnas and the customers. That is a strategically curated culture, not a short-term quest to drive down costs and drive out wisdom. Experience Fuels Innovation Innovation is often cast as the province of the young. Nonnas positively reframes the conversation entirely. There are several scenes in which the nonnas' wisdom is on full display as they concoct meals with new abundance and creativity. Research consistently demonstrates that the accumulation of crystallized intelligence—knowledge, expertise, and wisdom acquired over time—empowers older workers to excel in complex and ambiguous situations. Studies also show that older adults often outperform their younger counterparts in strategic decision-making, particularly when judgment and experience are required. This cognitive advantage of older workers can enable teams and organizations to navigate uncertainty with greater confidence and resilience. Those that foster generational diversity within their leadership and teams benefit from a broader range of perspectives and insights. For example, research by McKinsey & Company highlights that companies with diverse leadership teams, including those spanning multiple generations, consistently achieve superior business outcomes and innovation. By embracing the strengths of older workers, organizations not only leverage their wisdom but also position themselves for sustained success in evolving markets. Nonnas cooks that same lesson throughout the film. Contribution Across Life's Stages Many organizations still view career paths as a ladder, encouraging employees to climb until they are pushed out or the ladder is inconveniently snatched away. Nonnas tells a different story. Scaravella's restaurant is built around the power of their wisdom and contribution. They have boomeranged back into a working environment where not only are they thriving but also making meaningful contributions. They are not ornamental. The nonnas are foundational to the business's success. When organizations stop treating experience as an aging asset, contribution becomes lifelong. Wisdom remains active, and younger employees can learn from the ways of their older brethren. Nonnas delivers a simple, powerful lesson: experience does not have to expire. As the demographic crisis begins to take hold of the Western world, leaders will ignore the wisdom of wisdom at their own peril.
Free Malaysia Today
19-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Retirement age hike won't harm young jobseekers, says World Bank economist
World Bank senior economist for social protection and jobs in the East Asia and Pacific region, Matthew Dornan, said older workers who stayed employed continued to spend money, which helped support the economy and create more jobs. KUALA LUMPUR : Raising the retirement age in Malaysia will not reduce job opportunities for young people, World Bank senior economist for social protection and jobs in the East Asia and Pacific region, Matthew Dornan said today. Speaking at EPF's International Social Well-being Conference here today, Dornan said the belief that older workers would take away jobs from younger ones was a common misconception. 'There isn't a fixed number of jobs in the economy,' he said during his keynote speech titled 'Labour and longevity: Responding to the challenge of an ageing population.' He said older workers who stayed employed continued to spend money, which helped support the economy and create more jobs, including for younger workers. Dornan said studies showed that this trend was also true in Malaysia, except in sectors such as the civil service where employment might be capped. He said many countries had raised their retirement age as the population aged, adding that Malaysia did the same when it gradually increased the minimum retirement age from 55 to 60. Dornan said any further increase should be gradual and fair, possibly with different rules for different age groups, to allow time for adjustment and reduce public backlash. He also suggested linking the retirement age to life expectancy, as done in some developed countries, to prevent it becoming politicised. Yesterday, EPF CEO Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn said that life expectancy in Malaysia had increased from 54 years in the 1950s to 75 today, and was projected to hit 81 by 2050. Dornan warned that allowing early access to pension funds might lead to inadequate savings in old age, as some might spend the money too early. AdChoices ADVERTISING He added that while retirement policies mainly affected formal workers, many informal workers in Malaysia continued working beyond 60 out of necessity. Last month, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said proposed that the government study extending the retirement age to 65, noting that many Malaysians remained active and capable well into their 60s. In 2014, Malaysia raised the retirement age to 60 for both public and private sectors, up from 58 and 55 respectively, to promote financial security and active ageing.
