The role of governments and social partners in keeping older workers in the labour market

This contribution to the European Industrial Relations Observatory looks into the developments in keeping older workers in the labour market. As the study shows, the government has amended legislation and launched several initiatives to promote the extension of working life in the last few years. At the same time, unions and employer’ associations have concluded collective agreements in several sectors that are intended to encourage and induce companies to actively tackle the problems associated with an ageing workforce. There is increasing awareness that company-specific and life-course-oriented approaches can most effectively prevent older employees from exiting from the labour force.