New Portuguese legislation, adopted in December 2000, will make it easier for unemployed people aged over 55 to retire and receive an old-age pension. The new measure comes at a time when the retirement age is starting to come under debate in a country with one of the EU's highest average retirement ages.
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New Portuguese legislation, adopted in December 2000, will make it easier for unemployed people aged over 55 to retire and receive an old-age pension. The new measure comes at a time when the retirement age is starting to come under debate in a country with one of the EU's highest average retirement ages.
Decree-Law No. 326/2000 of 22 December 2000 has improved the access of unemployed people to an old-age pension before they reach the age 60. Unemployed people may now receive a pension if they are at least 55 years of age and have made social security contributions for at least 20 years, with a record of their payments. The number of unemployed people aged over 55 stands at 65,878, and the proportion of people in this age group who are unemployed is showing signs of increasing. Many of those concerned are women who are seeking to re-enter the labour market.
Retirement age is becoming a subject of debate amongst the Portuguese public and social partners, but a clear way ahead is far from being found. The Portuguese Employers' Association (Associação Empresarial de Portugal, AEP) states that jobs should primarily be given to younger people, but highlights the importance of older people's experience. A leading figure in the General Confederation of Portuguese Workers (Confederação Geral dos Trabalhadores Portugueses, CGTP) has stated that new early retirement legislation removes older workers from the labour market earlier, but does nothing to solve employment problems. Quite the contrary: older workers who retire early often re-enter the market, but in precarious jobs, and are replaced in their former posts by young people who also have no job security.
There is also currently much discussion of retirement age among such professionals as airline pilots. Following a recommendation by the European Joint Aviation Authorities, the upper age limit for cabin crew might be increased to 65. Although as yet there has been no major debate in Portugal, the trade unions representing this sector have not reacted well to the proposal, preferring to maintain the 60-year age limit, which they feel they fought hard to achieve. However, some pilots have publicly stated that the active age limit could be different from the retirement age, thus enabling pilots to continue to work.
Portugal has the shortest life expectancy in the European Union (72.0 years for men and 79.2 for women). However, the Portuguese retire late - at 65.8 years of age on average, one of the oldest retirement age of any of the Member States. Portugal has been closely monitoring the debate currently underway in the European Union on early retirement, both because of its cost, and because of the demographic pressure being placed on the labour market.
Eurofound doporučuje citovat tuto publikaci následujícím způsobem.
Eurofound (2001), Retirement age under debate, article.
