ADB Wants Senior Citizen Support

Governments in Asia are compelled to advocate for the availability of job opportunities and lifelong learning for elders and to strengthen their health services to take care of the growing population of elder workers according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

ADB’s economists Raymond Gaspar and Aiko Kikkawa have given recommendations on actions that governments can work on to support the want of those 60 years old or above in the region to work for longer.

“While raising the pensionable age may be inevitable at some point, the priority must be to ensure that ample job opportunities are provided to older persons beyond the low-wage farm and retail work that heighten informality,” said these ADB economists.

The economists have mentioned that support for lifelong learning would prove useful in the long run as obsolete skills pose an obstacle for elders in the workplace.

This can be possible with financial incentives for both employers and workers at the same time looking after the needs of the older learners.

These economists have also mentioned that governments in Asia can promote ways to revisit a seniority-based human resource practice and combat age discrimination.

It was mentioned how governments would need to boost their health services and preventive care to tackle the problem of the rising incidence of noncommunicable diseases in the older population.

They also added how technology can be used to increase the productivity of the older population and to match them to work that can be utilized.

Source: Philstar