The employment of elderly persons

Not every old person is fit for employment, and consequently employment agencies must reserve the right of selection. Retirement at the customary age with, if desired, re-employment for defined periods seems to offer the best method of employing old people, avoiding damaging loss of dignity and the blocking of promotion of younger people.Under suitable conditions, old persons are capable of a high level of employment. The possibilities of employment, however, vary very much with different types of industries and industrial regions. The elderly usually have a higher sickness absenteeism than young people, but have fewer absences for other reasons than sickness. Elderly workers seem to be able to carry out manual labour with efficiency if they are put into jobs without time-stress. If retraining is necessary, the utmost possible use should be made of already established skills. Heavy work does not seem to be necessarily harmful for old people.Little knowledge is yet available on the health problems of professional workers or executives at increasing age. Lack of decisiveness, failure of critical judgement, and increasing irritability-resulting from difficulty in organizing new information-will call for transfer to less responsible positions.Many more studies of old age are needed before the circumstances under which they may best be employed in present-day industry can be determined. Full employment and the need for production make this problem still more urgent.