PensionReforms' summary and comments
The populations in nearly all countries, especially the more developed ones, are ageing.  The focus in discussions about that tends to be about the retired or the relationship between the numbers of older and younger citizens.  For employers, the changing age-profile of the population has more subtle implications as this New Zealand report shows.  Some occupational groups face greater challenges than others.

Looking at the work force as a whole:
"The 2006 occupation by age database shows a peak in the ages 40-44 across the whole labour force, followed by the ages 45-49, and a skew towards those under 45 (59% compared with 41% over 45). While the peak age group was the same in 1991 as it was in 2006, the trend has seen declines in paid workers aged under 45 and increases in all age groups above 45.... The biggest declines have been in the 20-34 age group and the greatest growth has been in the 50-64 age group. In 1991, the majority of people (58%) were aged under 40."

Over the 15 years to 2006, the patterns of women in paid work had become similar to men.  Also of note was the "missing men" - the "apparent decline of men aged 25-29 in the labour force" over the same period.

"Employers of occupational groups with older profiles should be particularly aware of succession planning and skill-loss issues with potential mass retirement in the short to medium term. Where occupations involve hard physical work, employers may also need to explore ways of using a combination of more older workers and fewer younger workers so they can benefit from the skills and experience of the older workers without overburdening them physically."

The report then focussed on 37 different occupations, chosen "because they have skills shortages and/or skewed age and gender mixes". 
"The broad groups covered are law, accountancy, management, HR profession­als, IT, engineering, architecture, planning and policy analysts, transport, tourism and travel, health professionals, education, media, bank officers and call centre workers, police, and a wide range of trades and other manual workers."

The findings included:
-   Older workforce profiles were found in bus and railway drivers, all education sectors, nurses, social workers and fitters/turners.
-   Younger profiles were found in "accountants and solicitors, architectural draughters, human resources profession­als, IT, police, travel, media, bank officers and call centre workers, policy analysts and social scientists, cooks and chefs."
-   Older men/younger women were found amongst "Solicitors, accountants, veterinarians and planners.... This could be a new trend in traditionally male-dominated occupations and/or due to women leaving mid-career."
-   The average age is generally increasing: "The age profiles of other occupational groups such as engineers, managers and rades workers fit the workforce average and are therefore ageing compared with 15-20 years ago."

Some of the professions have seen a dramatic change in age/sex profile over the period covered by the report.  For example, in 2005, 62% of admissions to the Law Society were women (up from 52% in 1993).  The proportion of women in the profession grew from 24% in 1991 to 42% in 2006:
"During this period, the peak age for male lawyers increased from 40-44 to 50-59 while the peak age for women remained at 20-29."

Employers have to be more conscious of the ageing patterns when they are hiring:
"Those employing occupational groups with younger profiles face a declining number of young people entering the workforce and may therefore need to try new strategies to attract and retain older workers, or else compete strongly for younger workers. 

"Those employing a combination of younger women and older men may need to explore how women who have the potential to advance to senior levels might be retained through more flexible employment conditions."

The projected loss of skills from retirements will, for some occupations combine with reducing numbers of younger employees entering those occupations.  However, the traditionally "young' jobs will also be competing for that reducing number.  They may need to re-focus their potential workforce upwards from an age perspective.

PensionReforms notes that the report underlines how wrong it is to assume a homogeneous approach to ageing issues in the workforce.  Other than making employers more conscious of this, it is not easy to see a public policy imperative in all this.  Employers will find ways to adjust to the realities of the changing markets for labour and the prices they will have to pay for the skills they need will reflect that.  (File size 4.6 MB; 68 pp)  333