Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic crisis had an impact on the employment situation of older workers. Despite of that, most of the available research thus far has focussed on other groups and less attention was paid to the issues related to late and extended working life. Namely, on job losses, coverage of furlough schemes, increased chances in involuntary early retirement as well as social inequalities in terms of impact on chances of continued employment and/or re-entering the labour market. The EIWO programme focused on the impact on older workers’ situation in four country studies in: Germany, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The results show variation in social and economic impacts and responses in the included countries. Accordingly, this paper gives an overview of selected focal points in the country-specific impacts on the one hand and the respective reactions at the welfare state, labour market, sector and company levels on the other. Social inequalities are particularly evident with regard to already socially disadvantaged groups of employees (in terms of qualifications, health, employment status, gender and familial situation), e.g. with regard to the unemployment, involuntary early retirement, the switch to teleworking or COVID-19 related income risks. In the analysis, it was also possible to identify relevant sectoral and regional specifics. The results draw attention to the unequal spread of the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 on older workers and contribute to the debate on the sustainability of late and extended working life in times of crisis.
Presenters
Indre GenelyteAssistant Professor, Ageing and Social Change (ASC), Linköping University, Sweden Rachel Crossdale
The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom Gerhard Naegele
Institute for Gerontology, TU Dortmund University, Germany Jolanta Perek-Bialas
Associate Professor, Jagiellonian University, Poland
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Older Workers, Covid-19, Inequalities, Sustainability, Extended Working Life
