Iga Rudawska

Department of Marketing

Faculty of Economics and Management

University of Szczecin, Poland

igita@wniez.pl

Active Ageing and its Impact on Labour Market

ABSTRACT. This paper focuses primary on the recently emerged notion of “active ageing” and the strategies aiming at turning it into a crucial mechanism in societal and economic adjustment to population ageing. It begins by highlighting the demographic revolution described by population ageing, more and more longer human life expectancy at birth, old age dependency ratio and their consequences on workforce.  It goes on to discuss the concept and rationale of active ageing and its relationships to labor force. Then it outlines the basic principles on which policies on active ageing at work setting should be based and key elements of a strategy to implement it.  The core of the active ageing policies is to enable people to continue to work according to their capacities and preferences, and to prevent or delay disabilities and chronic diseases that are costly to individuals, families and the health care system. This would also help to offset the rising costs in pensions and income security schemes as well as those related to medical and social costs.

Next, the focus of the paper moves to the organizational level and the elements of an age management approach are discussed. It is stressed that a strategy of active ageing will enable ageing workers to have a stronger impact on their later life careers as well as on their health. At the macro level, if increased numbers of healthy older people were to extend their participation in the work force (through either full or part-time employment), their contribution to public revenues would continuously increase. The main reference point for this paper is Europe.

Received: February, 2010

1st Revision: March, 2010

Accepted: April, 2010

JEL Classification: J1, P2

Keywords: labour force, ageing society, active ageing concept, demographic transformation, organisational initiative.