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Successful yet insufficient: German policies for higher employment rates among older age groups
Author(s) -
Bauknecht Jürgen,
Naegele Gerhard
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/j.1839-4655.2016.tb00371.x
Subject(s) - employability , inequality , unemployment , german , promotion (chess) , labour economics , economics , order (exchange) , demographic economics , labour supply , unemployment rate , supply side , economic growth , political science , market economy , finance , mathematical analysis , mathematics , archaeology , politics , law , history
In recent years among the OECD countries, Germany has witnessed the largest increase in the employment rates of older people. This increase, and general German employment rates, are associated with both supply side measures in the fields of pensions and unemployment policies and employment promotion policies. Yet, supply side measures and Germany's shift from conservative towards liberal policy goals and policies in the case of older workers have resulted in economic inequality. These policies could be complemented by pro‐employability measures in order to become fully effective. This article describes recent policy reforms in the main policy fields of retirement, unemployment, and employment promotion, considers their effects on employment and inequality, and offers reform suggestions to raise further older worker employment rates without increasing inequality.