Mature  Age  Workers:    The  opportuni4es  and  barriers  to  

con4nuing  work  

Informa  Skilling  Australia  Summit  30  June-­‐1  July  2014  Prof.  Linda  Hancock  

overview  

•  Snapshot  ageing  workforce  and  Mature  age  migrant  workers  

•  Barriers  and  facilitators  to  par4cipa4on  for  mature  age  mul4cultural  background  workers  

•  The  u4lity  of  transi4onal  labour  market  theory  an  its  focus  on  targeted  training  for  enhancing  public  policy  in  this  area  

•  Policy  issues  in  light  of  debates  on  raising  the  re4rement  age  in  Australia.    

Industry  profile  M/A  workers  2001-­‐2011  

•  Major  differences  in  the  industry  profile  of  mature  aged  workers  in  Australia  between  2001  and  2011:    

•  Increase  in  the  total  number  of  mature-­‐aged  workers,  from  2,680,000  (32%)  to  3,691,000  (37%).    

•  Increase  in  the  number  working  in  Health  Care  and  Social  Assistance  (increased  from  314,000  to  524,000;  39%  to  45%).    

•  Increase  in  number  working  in  Manufacturing  (from  334,000  to  362,000)  as  total  persons  working  in  manufacturing  fell  (from  1,010,000  to  903,000).  Propor4on  increased  from  33%  to  40%.    

•  Increase  in  number  working  in  Transport,  Postal  and  Warehousing  (increased  from  135,000  to  220,000;  from  38%  to  46%).  

Industry  Profile  of  mature  aged  workers  born  in  a  non-­‐main  English  speaking  country  between  2001  and  2011:  

•  Increase  in  number  working  in  Health  from  50,000  to  91,000.  In  2011,  8%  of  all  Health  workers  were  mature  aged  workers  born  in  a  non-­‐main  English  speaking  country,  compared  with  6%  in  2001.    

•  Increase  in  number  working  in  Accommoda4on  and  Food  Services  from  25,000  to  45,000.  In  2011,  7%  of  all  Accommoda4on  and  Food  Service  workers  were  mature  aged  workers  born  in  a  non-­‐main  English  speaking  country,  compared  with  6%  in  2001.    

•  Increase  in  number  working  in  Educa4on,  from  27,000  to  42,000  Propor4on  of  all  Educa4on  workers  who  were  mature  aged  persons  born  in  a  non-­‐main  English  speaking  country  remained  at  5%.    

•  Number  of  mature  aged  workers  born  in  a  non-­‐main  English  speaking  country  working  in  Transport  and  Warehousing  more  than  doubled,  from  17,000  to  40,000  of.    

Migrant  and  M/A  unemployment  

•  For  migrants  arriving  in  the  past  20  years,  both  all  ages  and  mature-­‐age,  have  high  unemployment  rates  (8.1%  and  6.2%  respec4vely)  compared  with  all  Australian  residents  (5.6%  for  all  ages  and  3.9%  for  mature-­‐age  persons).    

•  Recent  female  migrants  have  an  especially  high  unemployment  rate  (9.5%).    

Overseas  born  a  higher  propor4on  of  45-­‐64  year  olds