Age, Occupations, and Opportunities for Older Workers in Germany

Improvement of the labor market situation for the elderly is a declared target in the EU. In this study we derive a model of occupational age structure, its determinants and their impact on employment and re-employment opportunities for older workers. The empirical analysis is based on data from German microcensus and conducted on the level of occupations. We show firstly that education, skills, training requirements and the compensation structure affect employment and re-employment of workers aged 50 and above, though detailed impact differs by gender. And secondly, working conditions and arrangements exert a clear-cut influence on employment and re-employment at older ages. Our findings suggest that future labor market policies should focus on working conditions and arrangement to improve opportunities for older workers.