• Full Story

Grey Power: Older workforce useful

Email
Print

Grey Power: Older workforce useful

3News NZ

The report criticised for keeping young people out of work

The report criticised for keeping young people out of work

A lobby group for seniors says there is no problem with an older work force.

Figures released yesterday by the Salvation Army show New Zealand's workforce is getting older and more people are working past the age of 65.

It criticised older people for keeping young people out of work.

But president of Grey Power Roy Reid says older workers offer different skills to those new to the work force.

“Many employers prefer to employ older people, because of their established work ethics. Also they use them to mentor younger people coming into the workplace,” says Mr Reid

Roy Reid says a higher quality of life has allowed many people to work for longer.

RadioLIVE

Post a Comment

Before commenting, please take the time to read our moderation guide


(Won't be published)



Comments

20/03/2012 6:55:14 p.m.

vicki wrote:

Didn't they just release figures that 52% or 55% of NZ's wealth belongs to the 55 and over age bracket, it seems there are the over 55's who have money and those who don't, needing to continue working past 65. It is really an issue of wealth distribution in society, amassing large amounts of wealth is unethical, not to mention just plain greedy.

19/02/2012 11:01:53 a.m.

Mike wrote:

Aging workforce, higher unemployment amoung the young.

Labour when they abolished youth rates claimed this would not happen, and everyone but Labour/Greens said it would happen. While Labour made changes to catch young votes, they actually made it harder for young people to get jobs - typical.

Who was right? Again.

Pesonally I dont like hourly rates and prefer contract rates where one is paid on performance.

Eg many years ago I was on a youth rate of $1.06 an hour while the adults were on over $4 /hour for picking Blueberries. The grower moved from hourly rates to contract rates and paid $1/kg and the old people who were getting just over $4 an hour for their 'social outing' dropped to under $2/hour and left. Now the unions will claim this was just the grower being mean on the wages and not paying enough for hard working NZ'rs to work ... On the flip side I move from my $1.06 an hour to typically $5-8/hour. The best I manange was over $17/hour, ie picked over 17kg of blueberries in an hour. But that wan't average, average was around $6-7.

19/02/2012 8:47:19 a.m.

Fellowes wrote:

The piecemeal, ad hoc way decisions are arrived at in the capitalist system are breathtakingly silly. Where is the big picture, so that the needs of all people in society are well cared for? NZ is a low-wage economy so that people find it hard to save enough for their retirement, hence they are forced to work now until way past the time they would rather retire. Now the global economic recession is creating youth unemployment, however, suddenly older people are the scapegoats - seen to be selfishly taking young people's jobs. What a mindless system we live under, without a shred of intellect to be seen.

18/02/2012 4:26:24 p.m.

kelvyn wrote:

Someone criticized older people for keeping young people out of work. Just a minute there! wasn't someone talking about raising the retirement age just recently? What effect do these critics think that will have? Secondly, why is an older persons right to work if they choose secondary to the young. Do older people have less rights than the young. Are they meant to accept they have a lesser value and therefore must stand aside for someone else? I don't think so!!!!

18/02/2012 4:11:25 p.m.

Ray wrote:

This is a load they can't work computers let alone deal with the software because it's to advanced for them... They aren't adaptable and can offer a fresh new idea in the work place I don't think this statistic offers anything valuable at all...