Research: Does Employing Older Workers Affect Workplace Performance?
This paper, compiled by the Institute for Employment Studies and IZA Institute of Labor Economics, examines the relationship between the age composition of the workforce and workplace performance.
Key findings
- There is no significant association between changes in the proportion of older workers employed and changes in workplace performance.
- There is some evidence that workplace labour productivity falls where the proportion of ‘middle-aged’ workers falls, either due to a rise in the proportion of older or younger workers, but this association does not carry through to financial performance.
- Overall, the findings suggest that any reluctance on the part of employers to employ greater numbers of older workers may be misplaced.
