Ageing workforce
21st Century demographics are driven by lower birth rates and longer life expectancy. The effects for the labour market are manifold, the key lies in matching the solutions for the mature workforce and the offerings and needs of the market. In 1950, there were seven working age people for every retired person in the United States. By 2030, there will be only three. Eurostat predicts that in Europe deaths will exceed births beginning as early as 2015 and that, despite increasing immigration, the population will shrink. At the same time, many baby boomers will be entering the life phase defined today as 'retirement' in Europe.
An ageing workforce and demographic changes pose profound and multifaceted challenges to Governments and businesses alike. In recent years, Governments have pushed the ageing workforce issue up the political agenda. In the EU, the year 2012 has been declared as "European Year forof Active Ageing and Solidarity Between Generations' with the aim of fostering solutions to enable mature workers to stay longer in the labour market, and remain healthy, active and autonomous for as long as possible. To coincide with the EU Year 2012, Adecco has published a White Paper entitled "It's time to manage age. Overview of labour market practices affecting older workers in Europe". The White Paper is available in English
and French 
Also as part of the European Year for Active Ageing, the Adecco Group is a member of the consortium running the Golden Workers project. It was launched to promote new models of extending professional active life and the application of new emerging technologies. Visit the website to learn more 
Adecco group sponsored the European Alliance on Skills for Employability award 2011 in the category 'Active Ageing through IT learning'. The award was won by the Internet Saloon which runs free computer skills and Internet courses for the over 50s in 3 Italian cities. Learn more about the award-wining project here 
As people live longer, many want or need to work longer. As a pension crisis threatens, political and societal pressure is building for the age of retirement and entitlement to state pensions to be pushed back in life. The 'traditional' linear pattern of education, work and retirement is blurring. Concepts such as lifelong learning gain momentum as means to re-skill and extend the employability of mature workers. As skills shortages are expected to grow, leading companies seek to foster new strategies to retain, attract or even rehire workers, which in many cases may be mature workers. For both mature workers and businesses the solution lies in flexible working arrangements.
We take practical steps to help mature workers (re-)integrate into the workforce and encourage life long-learning to sustain their employability. In the USA, our Renaissance Program promotes the advantages of temporary work for mature workers who want or need to supplement their income, mentor young employees or simply stay active in their older years. For our own engagement, Adecco USA was awarded the AARP 'Best Employers for Workers over 50' distinction four times since 2002. Read more about our engagement at Adecco USA http://www.adeccousa.com/AboutUs/special-programs/Pages/Mature-workers.aspx
Contributing to the development of strategies to meet the challenges of ageing workforces, we have carried out 3 demographic fitness tests of several European countries and also developed 'Improving Lifelong Learning – a tool box for companies, employees and institutions'.