The issue of age discrimination : the difficulties encountered in the re-employment of the 50+ workers.

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on age discrimination and the difficulties that are encountered in the re-employment of jobseekers who are over fifty years of age. Age discrimination is perhaps the least form of discrimination that people are aware of. All research shows that life expectancy amongst the Maltese will continue to rise whilst the traditional families will continue to shrink. It is also well known that because of this, the pension system may not be sustainable and in addition, one might also question the present two thirds pension’s purchasing power. Re-employing more individuals over fifty years of age into the workforce will relieve some of this pressure. It will be inevitable that older workers need to remain in employment beyond pensionable age. One of the many effects of age discrimination is the hardship that is encountered by job seekers aged fifty plus. Results confirmed that age discrimination is very real in Malta and has a direct bearing on the re-employment of older workers both before and during the recruitment process. Malta has no choice but to adopt a long term policy to address this problem. We need not reinvent the wheel; all we need is do is to adopt similar policies that were successfully implemented to address the issue of female participation in the local labour force.