A study on the situation of older unemployed workers and their chances of reintegrating in the labour market reveals that age is a criterion for labour market exclusion. Moreover, age and the prejudices that are associated with older unemployed workers are not the only factors which contribute to difficulties in finding a job; the recent changes in working life, such as deteriorating working conditions and a higher work pace, also contribute to such problems.
About the survey
In the context of the EQUAL project ‘AGEpowerment’, the Working Life Research Centre (Forschungs- und Beratungsstelle Arbeitswelt, FORBA) carried out a study on the situation of older unemployed workers and their chances of reintegrating in the labour market. FORBA published the final research report ‘... no one cares a fig about you.’ The situation of older unemployed workers and their chances of reintegrating in the labour market (‘... da kräht kein Hahn nach Ihnen.’ Die Situation von ‘älteren’ Arbeitslosen und ihre Chancen auf Reintegration in Beschäftigung (681Kb PDF)) in March 2007.
The study is based on interviews conducted with 26 women and men aged over 45 years who are currently unemployed. The majority of the interviewees became redundant due to restructuring measures and mergers, on the one hand, and career decisions involving a job change that later turned out to have a negative impact, on the other hand. Some of the survey respondents suffered from burnout or health problems and finally lost their job due to long periods of sickness leave.
The study examines the interviewees’ strategies for reintegrating in the labour market and the ways in which they cope with difficulties arising from seeking a new job. The analysis also looks at their former working careers and examines the effects of unemployment on their financial and social situation, as well as on their family life.
Age as a criterion for exclusion
The study revealed that an advanced age is considered as the main criterion for exclusion from the labour market. Although discrimination on the basis of age is rarely mentioned openly, all of the women and men surveyed regard their age as the main reason why their efforts to find a job were unsuccessful. Interestingly, those aged 45 years and 59 years share this opinion, despite the fact that the age gap between these two groups amounts to 14 years.
Nevertheless, the intensity and persistence that most of the women and men surveyed showed in their attempts to reintegrate in the labour market are impressive. Even if their efforts to find a job decrease over time due to frustrating experiences, it is not uncommon for older unemployed workers to send out some 100 application letters a year. Yet, only one in three companies responds to applications of these workers and only 5%–10% of the older applicants are invited to an interview.
It can therefore be argued that older unemployed women and men do not even get the chance to offer their labour, competencies and skills in the labour market. They are made to feel that they do not count in today’s society, which places characteristics such as age, sex and ethnicity first and disregards a person’s values.
Prejudices against older workers
An advanced age represents a criterion for exclusion in the labour market because it is closely linked to specific attributes. In this respect, older unemployed workers have to face a range of prejudices: they are perceived as being less flexible, less productive, more frequently sick and less willing to participate in training. The FORBA study revealed that the interviewees did not behave according to these stereotypes during their working lives; on the contrary, the people surveyed enjoyed working, were interested in the content of their work and acquired soft skills that are considered to be essential in today’s working life.
Consequently, it cannot be assumed that these attitudes towards and opinions of work change when people reach a certain age and/or lose their jobs. On the other hand, it cannot be concluded that all older unemployed workers share such attitudes towards and opinions of work. Hence, the study suggests taking a holistic approach, by considering the person as well as their competences and skills, rather than focusing on age and the stereotypes attributed to it.
Changing working life
In addition to age-related prejudices, older unemployed women and men also encounter difficulties in finding a job due to the changes in working life in recent years. Deteriorating working conditions and a higher work pace result in more stress and occupational problems. Certainly, the high workload to which the interviewees were exposed in their long careers has had an impact on their physical health and well-being.
The study thus emphasises that the question which has to be raised relates to the type of work in which older unemployed workers should be reintegrated. Working conditions therefore need to be adapted to an ageing workforce to support older workers remaining in work during the last part of their working life.
Marion Vogt, Working Life Research Centre (Forschungs- und Beratungsstelle Arbeitswelt, FORBA)