TOO OLD AT FORTY-FIVE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23690, 23 December 1938, Page 14

TOO OLD AT FORTY-FIVE

The International Labour Office has prepared a report on unemployment among elderly workers, in which it is stated' that age begins to appear as a definite disadvantage in securing employment at ; about the age of 45. This is a prob- i! lem (says the Spectator) which maybe solved in the more or less distant future by the effects of another problem which the report also ' considers, that of the falling birth’ rate, for industry may be driven by > the scarcity of younger labour to i have recourse to older workers. Meanwhile, however, the various ; countries represented offer a variety of remedies. These involve either, direct measures to persuade or com- : i pel employers to engage older men, or indirect measures which cover the whole field of the social services. Not only the general sani- • tary services, but those concerned with housing, food-supply, knowledge of nutritional values, hygiene,; and facilities for healthy all have a direct bearing on the-* health of the people—and to that extent on the vigour and efficiency of men of 45.