The Federal Government has released the findings of the country’s first survey of the employment barriers faced by mature-age workers.

 

Treasurer and Acting Prime Minister Wayne Swan and Minister for Employment Participation, Kate Ellis, released the findings at the launch of the Federal Government’s Corporate Champions seminar.

 

"We have an ageing workforce which means there are up to 3.8 million mature age Australians, many who still want to work and be part of the economy, but are facing barriers," Mr Swan said.

 

"This survey will help us better understand barriers faced by mature-age Australians so that we can get more Australians into work and tap into the valuable pool of mature workers who have so much experience and knowledge to contribute to our economy."

 

Some of the key findings of the survey include:

  • Illness, injury and disability was reported as preventing one-fifth of the total population aged 45-74 from working or looking for work in the last 5 years.
  • 36 per cent of job seekers reported having experienced exclusion while looking for a job in the last 5 years and attributed it to their age, while 83% believe it to be an issue in Australia.
  • Care-giving responsibilities are reported as preventing around one-third of care-givers from working or working more hours.

 

The Australian Government-funded national survey of the employment barriers faced by mature-aged workers was managed by the Productive Ageing Centre, with more than 3,000 Australians aged from 45 to 74 participating in the survey.

 

For more information, visit the DEEWR experience+ website.