CONTENTS

• Summary of Key Points
• Purpose
• Background
• Methodologies
• Older workers’ increasing importance in the labour force
• Older Workers in the Recession
• Complexities faced by older workers moving in or out of work – some key findings 
  • Specialised skill and knowledge (human capital)
  • Forms of employer discrimination
  • Firms’ reward systems and individual wage expectations
  • Difficulties in training and upskilling
  • Lower formal education qualifications and job signalling
  • A preference for work over retraining
• Moving Forward
  • Supporting older workers through the recession and beyond
  • Next Steps
• Bibliography

LIST OF FIGURES.

Figure 1: Projected New Zealand labour force by age group, 2006-2050