The Netherlands should do more to keep older workers in employment and to encourage companies to take on older members of staff, according to a new report by the Paris-based OECD.

For example, measures could be taken to ‘reduce the risk of people being pushed out of the labour market because of the growing gaps between wage and productivity’, the OECD said.

In addition, age should no longer be the ‘sole mandatory reason for retirement’ because ‘age is not a reliable indicator for judging workers’ productivity or employability,’ the organisation said.

Subsidies

Subsidies to encourage companies to employ older workers should also be used more efficiently and companies should be urged to boost training and education for older members of staff, the report, commissioned by social affairs minister Lodewijk Asscher, said.

The average retirement age in the Netherlands is now 63.6 years for men and 62.3 years for women.

While this is above the European average, the proportion of people still in work between the ages of 65 and 69 is now 12.7%, double the rate 10 years ago but still below the OECD average of 19%.

The official Dutch retirement age is being increased in stages to 67.