Abstract
Sweden recently made major revisions of its retirement provisions when the Swedish Parliament in 2019 decided to raise the age for when a person can withdraw money from the public pension system and for the mandatory retirement age. As of 2020, Swedes can retire at the earliest from the age of 62, but have the right to continue working until they turn 68. In 2023, the minimum age will increase to 63 and the upper limit to 69. Positive communication from the Swedish government accompanies these revisions with references to that we now live longer, are healthier and more active, and that we therefore can and would like to keep working. At the same time, there are reports on discrimination against the elderly in recruitment processes. The study assumes that this discrimination is similar in the public and private sectors, but that the public sector should take the lead in this area. Through an analysis of the discourse involved in the two contrasting developments or double message in selected public authorities, the study aims at understanding the content of the tension found in the Swedish public sector policy versus practice in this issue-area.
Presenters
Lisbeth SegerlundSenior Lecturer in Human Rights, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Public Policy and Public Perspectives on Aging
KEYWORDS
Aged-Based Discrimination, Public Sector, Recruitment Processes, Retirement Age, Sweden
