In a letter responding to the Guardian's editorial on demographic challenges, Professor Alan Walker emphasizes the need to ensure older people remain full participants in society, including the labour market. The UK's employment rate among those aged 55 to 64 is declining, whereas in comparable countries it is increasing.
Three Keys to Inclusion
Walker, emeritus professor of social policy and social gerontology at the University of Sheffield, proposes a threefold strategy for continued social and economic inclusion in later life: prevention of ill-health and disability, a major effort to combat age discrimination, and generous lifelong learning and reskilling provision.
Scandinavian Example
The Scandinavian experience shows that family-friendly policies, such as extensive public childcare, were introduced to further gender equality in the labour market, not solely to boost birthrates. This approach has contributed to higher employment rates among older workers in those countries.
Walker's letter highlights a missing challenge in the editorial: how to keep older people active in society. He argues that the negative economic narrative about the 'burden of dependency' should be avoided, and instead, policies should focus on inclusion.
