Leonardo Blair
, Staff ReporterAN INCREASING number of Jamaicans above age 45 years are opting to remain in their jobs, or have made themselves available for employment, while younger workers have been staying away from jobs they consider 'low' paying.
The latest Labour Force Update published by the Statistical Institute of Jamaica indicate that while there has been a general decline in the labour force those persons available for work the number of employed persons 45 to 65 and older has increased.
"During the period October 2002 and October 2003, the labour force decreased in the four younger age groups ranging from 14 to 44 years and increased for the three older age groups ranging from 45 to 65 years and over," said the report.
In explaining the ageing worker report, Dr. Leachim Semaj, chief executive officer of the JobBank says the report is reflective of a worldwide trend.
HEALTHIER, LIVING LONGER
"People are healthier and living longer and most have no savings or pension so they are staying in the job market longer. They have to, they need to and they have the capacity to," says Dr. Semaj. "I remember doing a seminar at a company and a young man was concerned about not getting a promotion because people were not leaving."
Dr. Semaj pointed out that because of this situation, fewer spaces have been opening up and younger persons now have to stay in school longer which is one factor in the decline in the percentage of younger workers in the labour force.
Due to the ageing trend, says Dr. Semaj, some companies have had to force some older workers out by offering early retirement. "A number of companies have started early retirement and it is a way of forcing people out to bring in fresher minds," he explains.
He pointed out that young people coming into the labour market today will have to start thinking how to create jobs rather than finding one. Some will have to even try accepting the low-paying jobs.
"There are too many young people saying 'bwoy mi can't work fi that,'" says Dr. Semaj.
Labour experts told The Sunday Gleaner last week that the report confirms current trends that are likely to continue for some time as the labour market shifts into a new dimension.
"I know off-hand that a lot of companies are laying off people. And most companies if they are laying off, the persons in those age groups (45 and up) are the first to be made redundant. So you find that a lot of these older workers are now seeking other jobs," says Shauna Leith, recruiting officer at the career counselling firm, Hamilton Knight Associates.
"They (younger) workers say they have their qualifications and a lot of companies aren't willing to pay. These workers are looking for greater compensation," she said.
In a 1999 International Labour Organisation (ILO) report evaluating jobless youth, low wages was also listed as one factor to youth resistance.
YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT
The report explained that youth unemployment is approximately double adult unemployment in most countries of the world.
The list cited wages, minimum wages, cohort size, shifts in industry composition, trade, technology, increased female participation among those factors affecting youth participation in the labour force.
It points out however that, "an encouraging sign is that young people around the world appear to have responded to the lack of jobs by staying on in school longer and increasing their education."
The young, says the report, "are more likely these days than was true in the past to continue living with their parents. Increased drug taking, more participation in crime and increased suicide are direct consequences of youth unemployment. It makes young people very unhappy, which suggests it is not a conscious choice as some may believe."
In October 2003, the Jamaican Labour Force comprised 1,098,300 persons. This represented a decline of 15,800 persons or 1.4 per cent over the twelve month period, as in October 2002, the labour force was 1,114,100.
In October 2003, 677,300 persons were 'Outside the Labour Force'. This represented an increase of 24,300 or 3.7 per cent over the twelve month period October 2002 to October 2003. The percentage of persons 14 years and over who were outside the labour force was 38.1 per cent in October 2003, up from 37.0 per cent in October 2002.
