Employers and unions have to do more to make sure companies continue to employ older workers, social affairs minister Henk Kamp said in a briefing for MPs on Monday.

At the moment, just half of the over-55s are still in paid employment, and this should be increased to around 70%, the minister says.
The cabinet plans to increase the state pension age to 66 in 2020. ‘It is one thing to put this on paper, but it must also happen in practice,’ Kamp said.
Most people in the Netherlands currently retire around the age of 62. The state pension age is 65 but early retirement schemes are common in many sectors.

Measures
Companies will have to be prepared to take on older staff so that changing jobs becomes normal for employees of all ages. Workers themselves should be encouraged to save up and invest in training to make sure they can continue to do their job as they get older, Kamp says.
The minister is currently drawing up a ‘vitality package’ to boost longer working through financial incentives.