Older People to be Encouraged to Work until 75

In a recent newspaper interview the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeld has said that it would be more economically sustainable for people to work until they are 75 and that employers should be prepared to be more flexible about hiring people over 55.

With the present growing population of older people it is necessary he said for more people to work for longer in order to finance Sweden's generous welfare state and pension scheme.

Mr Reinfeld said: "To hire someone who is 55 who says 'yes, I plan to work until I'm 75' -- that's 20 years, that's a very long and interesting employment relationship compared to a person who at that age plans to start winding down in five or six years."

The retirement age at present in Sweden is flexible. Older people can begin to take their pension at 61 or can choose to work until they are 67. According to statistics Sweden 7.8 per cent of over 65s were employed in 2010.

He said that changes would be necessary in view of the rising life expectancy and that if things continued as they are then pensions would become lower.

One proposal is that older people consider a change of career when their profession becomes too tiring or stressful for them.

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