Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection: on the employment of citizens of pre-retirement and retirement age
National legislation does not restrict the continuation of an employee's work activity after reaching retirement age.
In the context of demographic aging and a declining working-age population, the presence of working citizens of retirement age increases the potential of labor resources.
The priority areas of activity in solving the task of stimulating a longer working life and forming a comfortable income level for elderly citizens are, first and foremost:
- expanding employment opportunities for pre-retirement and retirement-age citizens;
- counteracting age discrimination in hiring, promotion, and dismissal of employees;
- supporting the economic activity and entrepreneurial activity of pre-retirement age citizens, developing and supporting self-employment of elderly citizens;
- assisting in job search and employment of pre-retirement and retirement-age citizens.
Stimulating the employment of elderly citizens is of great importance both from the perspective of ensuring income for the elderly, utilizing their educational and labor potential for the benefit of the country's economy, and from the point of view of socializing the elderly and their integration into society.
In recent years, there has been a steady trend of increasing employment among pensioners. More than 800 pre-retirement age individuals and pensioners annually seek assistance in finding work from the region's employment service.
For the employment of pre-retirement age citizens, district executive committees set targets (reservations) for employers for more than 200 jobs (for 2021 – for 241 jobs).
In 2021, 429 people of the specified category were registered as unemployed, which is 1.2 percent more than in 2020 (424 people). Taking into account those registered as of January 1, 2021 (76 people), 505 people needed employment. 242 citizens of pre-retirement age were employed on a permanent basis, of whom 105 people were employed under the established quota, which is 28.1 percent more than in 2020.
The proportion of employed citizens of pre-retirement age among those needing employment as of January 1, 2022, was 47.9 percent, which is 0.6 percentage points higher than in 2020.
Citizens of pre-retirement age are ready to undergo professional training or improve their qualifications in order to continue their work activities and organize their own business.
In 2021, 5 unemployed people of pre-retirement age were directed to training in professions in demand on the labor market, 79 people of the specified category participated in paid public works, and 3 were assisted in organizing entrepreneurial activities with a subsidy.
Assistance in job search and employment is also provided to pensioners who have been assigned an old-age pension, for length of service, or a professional pension in accordance with the law. It should be noted that the number of pensioners applying to the employment service increases annually. In 2021, there were 43.2 percent more applications than in 2020.
For reference. In January – December 2021, 461 people of the specified category were registered as applicants for employment assistance (in January–December 2020 – 322 people). Taking into account those registered as of January 1, 2021 (12 people), 473 people of the specified category needed employment.
More than 65 percent of citizens of retirement age who applied for assistance to the employment service find their desired job.
In 2021, labor, employment, and social protection authorities of the region assisted 314 citizens of retirement age in finding permanent employment. The proportion of employed citizens in this category out of those seeking employment was 66.4 percent, which is 0.2 percentage points higher than in 2020.