Adapting Europe to its ageing workforce

Migration will not provide a long-term solution to Europe’s ageing crisis. Instead, policymakers must focus on getting people to have more babies while working ‘longer and better’, business leaders declared at the European Business Summit. Soon, more than half of the European population will be over 40. Already 22% of the population is older than 60 and this is expected to rise to 36% in 2050, as life expectancy increases and birth rates remain low, at around 1.5 children per woman. This demographic evolution is increasingly weighing down on Europe’s economy as the costs of pensions and healthcare swell and the workforce dwindles.
The challenge is to rejuvenate Europe’s population, increase the number of workers and keep them working longer. Speakers at the summit agreed that policymakers can have an impact on demographic evolution and if they are to meet the challenge, they will have to ensure decent working conditions, make it easier to combine work and family life, and support lifelong learning schemes. Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimir Špidla pointed out that Europe is, in a way, ‘lucky’ to be confronted to the demographic challenge of ageing, as the elimination of all forms of discrimination – necessary to increase the overall activity rate – will ultimately lead to a society that is ‘more inclusive’. Unfortunately, he said, age discrimination is still very present in Europe.