Demographic decline and the mismatch between the demand and supply of skills are two issues of particular concern for the European labour market. But are people’s skills more likely to be mismatched as they age?

As people age they are less exposed to physical risk at work but they are also less exposed to new developments, running the risk that their skills may not keep up with demand. A close study of the ways in which ageing workers’ skills fall behind the demands of the workplace can suggest policies to overcome this problem.  The baby-boomer generation (1945-1964) is fast reaching retirement age: policies encouraging them to stay on at work cannot come too soon.

Some of the issues discussed in this paper:

  • How do the various forms of skills mismatch correlate to wages, job satisfaction, career prospects and health?
  • Does training help ageing workers deal with mismatch problems?
  • Do silver workers face different mismatch problems compared to other age groups?
  • How do workplace conditions affect the match between skills and jobs?

 

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Cedefop