Olaf van Vliet on BNR Nieuwsradio about staff shortages and labour force participation of over 55s
Due to the tightness of the labour market, staff shortages are on the rise in many sectors. One solution often mentioned in the policy debate is that people should work more hours per week; the part-time factor should increase. Another possibility mentioned these days in the United States, is to increase the participation of older workers in the labour force.
Could this also help to reduce staff shortages in the Netherlands? Olaf van Vliet, Professor of Economics at Leiden University, discussed this with Bas van Werven on Dutch radio programme BNR Nieuwsradio. In the Netherlands, too, the employment rate in the older section of the labour force is lower than in the younger section of the labour force. People stop working before they have reached retirement age. In 2020, the employment rate in the group aged 25–54 was 88%, but the employment rate in the group aged 55–64 was only 73%. Labour market policies aimed at increasing labour market participation among older people could help reduce staff shortages.
https://www.bnr.nl/nieuws/arbeidsmarkt/10462720/arbeidsmarktbeleid-richten-op-55-plus