The low employment rate of seniors is often brandished as an argument against the government’s pension reform, which plans to raise the retirement age to 64 and then 65 by 2031 to ensure the financial balance of the system.
For the Minister, the poor results of France compared to its neighbors can be explained in part because “our economic system does not have the culture of employment for seniors”. He also points to “devices which can be perceived as encouragement, for employers, to separate from seniors”, such as “the maximum duration of unemployment compensation, which, from the age of 55, goes from 24 to 36 month”.
To promote the return to work of the over 55s, “one of the avenues could be to allow a senior who accepts a less well-paid job to keep part of his unemployment benefit in order to compensate for the loss of earnings. We can work there”, indicates Olivier Dussopt, who wishes “also to promote progressive retirement and the accumulation of retirement employment”.
“The creation of a professional index of the employment of seniors, on the model of that for equality between women and men, will be part of the discussions” that the minister, who is leading the reform of pensions and that of health insurance. unemployment, will have with the social partners in the coming weeks. He also mentions “incentive mechanisms, in the form for example of exemptions from social security contributions” for companies.
But for him “the best way to keep seniors in employment remains to improve working conditions and fight against the consequences of professional wear and tear”, themes which will also be on the menu of consultations with the unions and the employers.
On the question of raising the legal age, which all the unions oppose, “this will be to be agreed, but we must raise the average age of departure”, he insists, while considering ” introduce a review clause”, which “can be a way of taking a date in the future to take stock”.
