Older Workers in the New Economy: A Symposium on the Report of the Expert Panel on Older Workers

Introduction

The papers that follow review and assess the report of the Expert Panel on Older Workers. This introduction to the symposium provides a brief history of the Expert Panel, its mandate, and its recommendations.

The appointment of an Expert Panel to study labour market conditions affecting older workers was announced by the federal government on 23 January 2007. The mandate in brief had two principal elements:

• • to evaluate current and potential measures to address the challenges faced by displaced older workers; and

• • to examine the broad labour market context for older workers, including the impacts of population aging and the barriers and disincentives for older worker participation in the labour market.

Erminie Cohen, a retired Senator, was appointed as Chair of the Expert Panel. The other panel members included Françoise Bertrand, president and director general, Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec; Bill MacKinnon, chief executive and senior partner, KPMG Canada; and Craig Riddell, professor, University of British Columbia. The work of the panel was supported by a secretariat headed by Patricia Smith. Richard Chaykowski of Queen’s University served as research director, and Dougall Aucoin as director of communications.

The Panel consulted with provincial and territorial governments, visiting each of the provinces and territories to meet with the relevant ministers and their staff. A series of roundtables were held with representatives of interested organizations. In addition, two academic roundtables were organized to provide expert advice. The Panel also received many briefs from organizations and individual Canadians.

The Expert Panel submitted its report in February 2008 in time for its recommendations to be considered in the context of the 2008 federal budget. The report was quietly released to the public by Monte Solberg, the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Canada, in July 2008.

Mandate of the Expert Panel

The Expert Panel was asked to examine

• • the broad labour market context and how older workers are positioned within that context, including sectoral and regional aspects of older workers’ participation and considerations related to underrepresented groups, as well as considerations related to economic development initiatives;

• • the impact of population aging on the economy and labour force, and the impact of older worker participation in the labour force;

• • barriers and disincentives for older worker participation in the labour market;

• • characteristics and circumstances of displaced older workers;

• • current supports and services available to older workers to improve their labour market participation and resiliency;

• • possible initiatives, including costing, for older workers including various passive (i.e., early retirement benefits) and active supports (i.e., suite of measures ranging from mentoring to new work experience);

• • interrelationships between respective levels of government and other stakeholders in the design and delivery of possible initiatives; and

• • potential program impacts on the labour market.

The Panel’s Report

The report of the Expert Panel, Supporting and Engaging Older Workers in the New Economy, is available on the Human Resources and Skills Development website at http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/publications_resources/lmp/eow/2008/older_workers_2008.pdf .

Key messages in the report include the need for (a) awareness of the value of older workers in the workplace; (b) choice and flexibility to participate in the labour market; (c) better labour market information, research, and dissemination; (d) changes to Employment Insurance and the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers to support the adjustment of displaced older workers; and (e) in the medium term, a more fundamental review of the Employment Insurance program.

Within each of these areas, the Panel made specific recommendations. A brief summary of key recommendations follows.

Awareness of the value of older workers in the workplace

The Panel recommended mounting a comprehensive and sustained awareness campaign to promote the value and benefits to individuals and employers of continued participation in the labour force, to reduce ageism, and to remove negative stereotypes surrounding older workers.

Choice and flexibility to participate in the labour market

In this area, the Panel recommended that the federal and provincial governments undertake changes to tax and pension systems to remove systemic barriers and disincentives to...