Despite the chronic shortage of labor and an aging population in Switzerland, few French-speaking companies are willing to recruit employees aged 60 or over, according to a study.
The consequence of this situation is that companies risk no longer finding enough employees in the coming years.
While 61% of companies surveyed by the Pro Senectute organisation say they are willing to hire people aged 55 to 59 without reservation or under certain conditions (33%), 22% do not want to recruit employees aged between 60 and 65, or only under certain conditions (48%).
Preserve the know-how of seniors
After the age of 65, which is currently the official retirement age for men, 52% of the firms surveyed “totally reject this possibility” of hiring seniors, according to the survey conducted between March and May among 433 companies. But eight out of ten companies are still prepared to keep their employees beyond this age and 27% already do so.
87% of the bosses surveyed say they appreciate being able to retain the know-how of seniors within their company. The latter are no less productive, creative or flexible than their younger colleagues, they estimated.
Recruitment more difficult in 5 years
“Two thirds (of the bosses interviewed) admit that they are not doing enough today to keep or attract seniors,” noted Constantino Serafini, director of the French-speaking Avantage program attached to Pro Senectute. But managers “are aware in the same proportion that recruiting will be significantly more difficult in five years or that we will have to rely more on seniors”, he said.
In Switzerland, the number of unemployed remained stable in May at 2.3%, after a slight decline the previous month. For people aged 50 to 64, the unemployment rate is 2.1%.
ats/hkr
