Workforce ageing in the Australasian Journal on Ageing: Laying the research foundations

Abstract

Recent Australasian Journal on Ageing articles have made significant contributions to the research landscape underpinning the Australian Association of Gerontology's 2018 'hot topic, 'Working in ageing and working while ageing'. The articles address cornerstones of knowledge on the demography of mature age workforce participation, issues concerning the health, wellbeing and training of the older workforce and age discrimination. An article in the previous issue of the AJA by Temple and McDonald, based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, explains increases in mature age labour supply for the period 2000 to 2015 and projections of mature age labour supply from 2015 to 2030 [1]. Over the period 2000 to 2015 increased participation resulted in an additional 786,000 persons aged 50-80 in the labour force. Between 2015 and 2030projections of increased labour supply of workers aged 50 to 80 range from 304,000 based on lowest assumptions, to 900,000, based on the higher level of New Zealand mature age participation.The authors explain that much of this increase, particularly in female labour force participation is cohort-driven, associated with cultural changes related to gender roles and the higher levels of educational attainment of the babyboomer generation. The projected increase underscores the necessity for government policies, which support extended working lives and meet the policy objective of deferring eligibility for the age pension to 70 years by 2035.