Eurobarometer Issued Measuring Active Aging, Attitudes to Older Workers

As part of the European Year of Active Aging, a Eurobarometer survey examined active ageing in the EU, including attitudes to the workplace, career end and pensions. According to the "Eurobarometer survey on active ageing," barriers to older workers functioning in the labor market included a lack of training, a lack of flexibility to reduce working hours, and negative perceptions on the part of employers. In addition, the overall view was that the retirement age should be equal for men and women, but that individuals should be allowed to work beyond retirement age if they wished.

Specifically, with respect to barriers, a lack of opportunities to allow older workers to reduce their working hours gradually was viewed as "very important" by 25% of respondents and "important" by 47%), the exclusion of older workers from training in the workplace was viewed as :very important" by 26% and "important" by 45%, and older workers not being viewed positively by employers was viewed as "very important" by 27% and "important" by 43%.

Looking at the advantages of older workers (those 55 and older), survey respondents perceived them to be more experienced (87% syaing that this was "much" or "somewhat" more likely) and more reliable than their younger counterparts (67% saying that this was "much" or "somewhat" more likely).

Source: Eurofound "New Eurobarometer survey examines active ageing" (February 23, 2012)