Many of the over-55s who lose their jobs are still without paid work once their unemployment benefits dry up, according to research by the state job centre organisation UWV.

The UWV looked at how many people had managed to find a job after the jobless benefits – which run for a maximum three years – had stopped, the Volkskrant said.

Almost 75% of the total jobless pool had found new employment, but youngsters are far more likely to succeed than older workers, the research showed.

Pensions

Almost half the over-55s were without a job after their benefits (ww) had stopped. On average, they were entitled to 30 months unemployment pay. Once ww stops, people shift into the welfare benefit system, provided they have no assets and an unemployed partner.

Rotterdam labour market professor Jaap de Koning told the Volkskrant he had not expected the group to be so large. ‘More older people are staying in work, but that does not mean the position of the older unemployed has improved,’ he said.

‘Older workers are not without opportunities, because 52% of the over-55s do find work. But the longer someone is out of the system, the harder it is,’ said UWV spokesman Rob Witjes.

The cabinet is planning to reduce entitlement to unemployment benefit from three years to two years. It is also raising the official retirement age gradually from 65 to 67.