|
 |
|
Source:
www.mom.gov.sg |
|
Skills and Experience Keep
Mature Workers Employed |
|
|
Attesting to the importance of continual
education and training, mature workers in their 40s and 50s remain
employable mainly due to their relevant skills and work experience. |
|
While this was also important for older
workers aged 60 & over, the top reason cited by employers for employing
them was their lower likelihood to job-hop. |
|
About half of the establishments surveyed1
indicated that they offered re-employment to retirees, or allowed their
employees to continue working beyond the statutory retirement age. |
|
These are the key findings from an ad-hoc
survey on Conditions of Employment for Older Workers, 2006 conducted by
Ministry of Manpower's Research and Statistics Department on an
effective sample of about 2,900 private sector establishments. |
|
Main Findings |
|
As at June 2006, nearly all private sector
establishments surveyed (97%) hired Singapore citizens aged 40 to 49.
However, the proportion employing workers in their 50s declined to 89%
and more sharply to 54% for those older. |
|
Seven in ten employers cited relevant skills
and work experience as the most common reason workers in their 40s and
50s fit into organisations. Although this was also important for older
workers aged 60 & over (52%), the top reason cited for employing them
was their lower likelihood to job-hop (61%). |
|
A significant percentage (at least 40%) of
establishments also cited the ability of mature and older workers to
mentor and impart knowledge to younger staff, reinforcing the perception
that older workers are more loyal and committed to the company. |
|
Willingness to accept salary adjustment
(37%) was also a significant factor for employing older workers aged 60
& over. |
|
Among firms that did not employ mature
workers, the most common barrier cited against employing workers in
their 50s and 60s was their inability to meet physical demands of the
job, with nearly four in ten employers citing this. |
|
This was also the second most cited barrier
against hiring workers in their 40s (25%) after high wage expectation
(31%). Interestingly, high wage expectation was not as much an issue for
workers in their 50s and 60s, as the percentage of firms which cited
this declined to 12% and 6.7% respectively, possibly reflecting more
realistic salary expectations of older workers2. |
|
Other reasons cited were that mature workers
were not flexible and adaptable to changes and were less receptive to
training and skills, with less than one in five employers indicating
each reason. |
|
About half (54%) of the establishments
surveyed retained employees beyond the official retirement age, with the
majority of them making no change to the workers' job scope, wages and
benefits. There is therefore scope for employers to put in place
re-employment arrangements and programmes that can enable more workers
to work beyond the retirement age. |
|
One in three (34%) establishments were aware
of the ADVANTAGE! scheme introduced in Jan 06. Slightly more than half
(54%) of the establishments surveyed indicated that they would consider
tapping on the Scheme. There is therefore considerable room to raise the
awareness of employers and encourage them to participate in the scheme. |
|
These are the main findings from the report
on ˇ°Firms' Adoption of Age-Positive Human Resource Practicesˇ±. The full
report is available online at Ministry of Manpower's website. |
|
1 The survey covered private
sector establishments each employing at least 25 employees.
2 Preliminary findings of the
National Survey of Senior Citizens, 2004/2005 commissioned by MCYS found
that nine out of ten senior citizens aged 55 & over who were looking for
a job were prepared to accept lower salaries. |
|
Source:
www.mom.gov.sg Press Release
25 May 2007 |
|
 |
|
Important
Notice |
|
Our FrontPage
Editions are a historical record of our Web site and reflect
the changing of the times, and also of our Web site through
time. We do not and will not update the links and stories on
these FrontPages even if they have become obsolete. |
|
FrontPage Edition: Sun 10 June 2007
All rights reserved
