Valuing Experience

What proportion of the workforce are older workers?

The overall profile of New Zealand’s population is ageing due to declining fertility, ageing of the baby-boom generation and an increase in average life expectancy. This ageing is also reflected in our workforce, of whom half are over the age of 40. This is projected to lift to 42 by 2012, and then remain about this level. Currently people aged 50–64 comprise almost a quarter of the total workforce.

Labour shortages that are already being experienced by significant numbers of employers are expected to become more widespread as baby-boomers retire and other countries with similar issues compete for New Zealand workers. Employers who have largely ignored the potential of older workers in the past, will need to quickly learn how to tap into this section of the labour market for the future.