A recent study by the Empeiria Development Partnership examines the participation of people aged 55–64 years in the Greek labour market in the period between 1993 and 2004. Despite an increase in the labour force as a whole over the period under examinatione, the share of workers in the 55–64 age group declined. The study also makes an initial investigation of the impact of an expected increase in the number of people in this age group.
In the context of the EU EQUAL initiative, the Empeiria Development Partnership, whose coordinating partner is the Economic and Social Council of Greece (Oικονομική και Κοινωνική Επιτροπή, ΟΚΕ), has carried out studies and research (in Greek) on the issue of ‘active ageing’. The key findings of a 2006 study, entitled Quantitative investigation of the status of older workers in the labour market in Greece: developments and prospects (in Greek, 400Kb PDF), are presented under the following headings.
Employment and unemployment
The rate of participation in the labour market and in employment of people aged 55–64 years showed a tendency to stabilise over the 1993–2004 period. By contrast, the presence of young people in the labour market steadily increased (Figures 1 and 2).
The unemployment rate increased for both age groups. Throughout the period between 1993 and 2004, the unemployment rate for the 15–54 age group was at least three times higher than the rate for the 55–64 age group. This is mainly due to the high levels of unemployment among young people aged 15–24 years.
Unemployment in the 15–54 age group showed a tendency to fall from 1999, whereas in the 55–64 age group some stability was seen at levels of about 4% (Figure 3).
Older people in the labour force
The labour force as a whole grew over the period 1993–2004 (Table 1), but this was solely due to the growth of the labour force aged 15–54 years, since the labour force in the 55–64 age group became smaller. The overall increase in the labour force was the result of greater labour market participation among women aged 15–54 years, as well as an increase in the number of men in this age group due to the greater influx of immigrants during the 1990s. The tendency of the proportion of the labour force in the 55–64 age group to decline mainly involved people aged 60–64 years and was for the most part demographic in nature.
Table 1: Selected age groups as a proportion of the working-age population, labour force, employment and unemployment, 1993 and 2004 (%)
This table outlines the participation rates of selected age groups as a proportion of the working-age population, the labour force, employment and unemployment for the years 1993 and 2004. | | Working-age population | Labour force | Employment | Unemployment |
| | 1993 | 2004 | 1993 | 2004 | 1993 | 2004 | 1993 | 2004 |
| Among whole 15–64 age group: | | | | | | | | |
| 15–54 years | 80.1 | 83.1 | 86.6 | 89.6 | 85.6 | 88.9 | 96.0 | 95.7 |
| 55–64 years | 19.9 | 16.9 | 13.4 | 10.4 | 14.4 | 11.1 | 4.0 | 4.3 |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Among 55–64 age group: | | | | | | | | |
| 55–59 years | 49.8 | 53.6 | 61.6 | 65.4 | 61.2 | 65.4 | 74.5 | 74.6 |
| 60–64 years | 50.2 | 46.4 | 38.4 | 34.6 | 38.8 | 34.6 | 25.5 | 25.4 |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Source: Based on data from the National Statistical Service of Greece (ESYE), Labour Force Survey
Future prospects
As regards prospects for development, the study uses as a reference point the results of population projections for the 2000–2025 period. These indicate that the total working-age population in Greece will stop increasing after the end of the next decade and will then decline. This development will be accompanied by a decrease in the population aged 15–54 years and an increase in the number of people aged 55–64 years (Table 2).
Table 2: Selected age groups as a proportion of the total population aged 15–64 years, 1990–2025 (%)*
This table outlines the rates of selected age groups as a proportion of the total population aged 15–64 years. | | 1990 | 1995 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2025 |
| Age groups | | Immigration scenario | Zero immigration scenario |
| 15–24 | 22.3 | 21.6 | 21.8 | 18.4 | 15.9 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 18,4 | 15,8 | 14,9 | 14,8 | 15,5 |
| 25–49 | 48.1 | 50.8 | 52.9 | 55.6 | 55.8 | 54.6 | 52.1 | 49.2 | 55.6 | 55.7 | 54.5 | 51.7 | 48.5 |
| 50–54 | 9.9 | 8.2 | 9.0 | 9.5 | 10.2 | 10.8 | 12.0 | 12.3 | 9.5 | 10.3 | 10.8 | 12.1 | 12.5 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15–54 | 80.3 | 80.6 | 83.7 | 83.5 | 81.9 | 80.5 | 79.0 | 77.1 | 83.5 | 81.8 | 80.2 | 78.6 | 76.5 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 55–59 | 10.3 | 9.8 | 7.6 | 9.0 | 9.4 | 10.2 | 10.8 | 12.1 | 9,0 | 9,4 | 10,4 | 11 | 12,4 |
| 60–64 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 7.5 | 8.7 | 9.3 | 10.2 | 10.8 | 7.5 | 8.8 | 9.4 | 10.4 | 11.1 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 55–64 | 19.7 | 19.4 | 16.3 | 16.5 | 18.1 | 19.5 | 21.0 | 22.9 | 16.5 | 18.2 | 19.8 | 21.4 | 23.5 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 50–64 | 29.6 | 27.6 | 25.3 | 26.0 | 28.3 | 30.3 | 33.0 | 35.2 | 26.0 | 28.5 | 30.6 | 33.5 | 36.0 |
Notes: * The table outlines the forecast share of various age groups in the population aged 15–64 years for 2005–2025 according to two scenarios: one that supposes that there will be no immigration in the years to come and one that supposes that there will be immigration.
Source: Based on data from Eurostat, Demographic statistics and demographic projections
Conclusion
In the coming years, the 55–64 age group will constitute an ever more significant part of the potential labour force. Therefore, it is important to create and promote policies to avoid their being excluded from the labour market.
Sofia Lampousaki, Labour Institute of Greek General Confederation of Labour (INE/GSEE)
