|
|
UNEMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE OVER 50 YEARS OF AGE {--} OBSTACLES HINDERING THEM FROM FINDING A JOB
FURIŠOVÁ, Hana
Our position in the labour market is conditioned by a number of features (age, state of health, education, sex, ethnic origin) which define groups of people who are more endangered by a loss of job and predestined to be unemployed. Each of these groups has its specific problems or ``obstacles`` which prevent them from getting a job again. One of these groups includes people over fifty years of age. If an individual has problems to find a job at the beginning or in the middle of their carrier life, their chances of getting a job as they grow older are even smaller. Many people have to face the crisis of basic social securities. Situations when a person is, in a very short time, permanently separated from the results of their long-term efforts, from their social status, their colleagues and income are fairly frequent. The objective of the work was to define the obstacles which hinder unemployed people of over fifty years of age from finding a job, and to point out the issue of unemployment in this age group. The research was carried out in the Labour Bureau in České Budějovice and in the Labour Bureau in Strakonice. Methods of qualitative research were used, specifically a Questionnaire and an Analysis of the content of documents. The following hypotheses were determined: 1. The greatest obstacle preventing people older than fifty from finding a job is the lack of qualifications. 2. Along with an improvement of the situation in the labour market the number of unemployed people in this age category registered in the Labour Bureau decreases. The hypotheses were confirmed. The research showed that the greatest obstacle for these unemployed people are their qualifications which are insufficient and do not correspond with the current requirements of the labour market. It was also discovered that the number of people in the 50+ category increases or decreases depending on the general development of the unemployment rate. However, changes in the 50+ category are not very significant, and therefore, the ratio of applicants in the 50+ category keeps increasing as compared to the total number of job applicants. That is why the 50+ category rightly ranks among risky groups of unemployed people. In order to improve the chances of the 50+ workers in the labour market, it is necessary to improve their professional qualifications, eliminate age discrimination and modify working conditions in such a way to enable these people to find a job even in spite of various health restrictions. Elderly workers would have to change their opinion regarding retaining a job, their attitude to acquiring new skills and they would have to become more flexible to match the present labour market. The issue of unemployment of people over fifty years of age is and will be topical since it can be expected that the trend of ageing of the population and the increasingly dynamic features of the economy based on modern technologies, will make it increasingly difficult for such people to find a job.
|
guest ::
