Older workers and active ageing in France: the changing early retirement and company approach

Abstract

Europe is experiencing demographic shifts without precedent due especially to progress concerning health and the decrease in fertility. These affect individuals, families, local communities, countries and whole strata of society. The number of people over 60 years old is going to increase in Europe as the baby boomers reach retirement age. If the factors related to employment are considered, it must be noted that the working-age population is falling nowadays. This drop is, in part, the result of low participation by seniors in the labour market, especially in France. The employment rate for this category of workers at the present time is lower than the objectives set within the framework of the Lisbon Process. The low participation of older workers in the labour market is the result of premature exclusion, within a context of high unemployment and industrial restructuring. Therefore, the development and enhancement of employment for older workers constitute a crucial issue. If the situations are very diverse in Europe, France is distinguished by an employment rate for people over 55, that is significantly lower than the average for the European Union. Still, only 3% of the population is working at the age of 65 and the median age of work is around 58. Thus, France is still very far from the objective set for 2010 at the Stockholm Summit in 2001. To take up the challenge of employment for seniors in France, it is necessary to examine its singularity and to question if there is a ‘French Exception’ on age management? An analysis of the institutional factors determining the relative labour market position of older workers can explain the French particularity.

Keywords:

• active ageing
• management
• older workers

Notes

1. The unemployment rate of Norway is 69%, and Denmark 58.6%, compared with the Hungary rate which is lower (33%), and Slovakia (35.6%).

2. The promotion of active ageing is reflected in the two complementary targets that the EU has set itself. The 2001 Stockholm European Council agreed that half of the EU population in the age group of 55–64 should be in employment by 2010. The 2002 Barcelona European Council concluded that ‘a progressive increase of about 5 years in the effective average age at which people stop working in the European Union should be sought by 2010’, Com (2004).

3. A brief review of the French press shows that the subject of older workers is primarily covered in the specialised media and then, following a yo-yo trend. Indeed, until the end of October 2006, the articles and media show devoted to them often use strong expressions such as ‘the headache of the pensioners’, ‘allergy to people over 50’ and ‘emergency’. Humour is not lacking in commentaries on seniors. Evidence of this is the drawing in ‘Le Monde’ of 11 February 2005, where two politicians are sketched beside rubbish bins full of people in their 50s. The caption says: ‘You know better: fifty-year-olds can be recycled!’. Still, the 4th of October 2006, the French Public TV Channel, France 2 organised a generational debate (l'Arène de France 2), titled ‘Do older workers have to leave the room to the young people?’ (Les vieux doivent-ils laisser la place aux jeunes?) questioning pensions, huge young unemployment, national debt,…, issues. The questions raised was, ‘is the baby-boomers generation is “weighting with lead” the young generation, and to bequeath to him like only heritage only one abyssal national debt?’ (La génération des baby-boomers est-elle en train de «plomber» la nouvelle génération, et de ne lui léguer comme seul héritage qu'une dette publique abyssale?). The life expectancy lengthening of almost 3 months per year, how to control on one side the weight of the pensions retirements and to fix, of another, the huge unemployment of young people? But precisely (October 20th, until mid-November 2006), the minister of Employment and Social Cohesion, Mr Jean-Louis Boorlo launched a great communication TV and Internet's campaign called « Then? What makes you believe that we are too old to work with you? (Alors? Qu'est-ce qui vous fait croire que nous sommes trop vieux pour travailler avec vous?) to raise awareness within the general public on older workers and change the mentality.

4. Leaders are characterised by their integrity, honesty, enthusiasm, focus on people, vision and purposes and they pursue collective or company goals doing ‘the right thing’ vs. ‘doing the things right’ of the technocrat manager and inspire trust.

5. Age discrimination affects female workers specifically in a number of ways. The rate of unemployment alone remains higher for females compared with males. Also, research has shown that employers regard women as old as soon as they reach 35, but men only at the age of 40 years. Many women enter and re-enter the workforce according to the demands of family, either young children or elderly relatives. They are, therefore, disadvantaged in terms of promotion, training and access to full-time work. (This has effects on wages, pensions and later quality of life.) Many women advance a career much later in life than their male counterparts. Having been stereotyped and discriminated against early in their career, it is likely to happen again when they try to advance their career later in their paid working life.