Ebène, 26 August, 2020: The National Productivity and Competitiveness Council has released a working paper on the “Ageing Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities for the Republic of Mauritius”.
The working paper is the fruit of a research conducted by the NPCC to provide an insight into the factors leading to an ageing workforce and makes recommendations for strategic orientations in the future.
Significant data gathered over the period January to September 2018 provide an overview of the key trends associated with the ageing workforce and examine the major challenges these trends present for Mauritius and Rodrigues.
Relevant stakeholders were consulted in order to understand their particular perspectives on the issue of ageing workforce in Mauritius and Rodrigues. Data were collected with a view to understand public opinion on the ageing workforce, while stakeholders were engaged in drafting an action plan for addressing the issue of an ageing workforce in the short, medium and long term.
The rationale of the research is based on the fact that an ageing population is threatening the country’s productivity and future growth. As the population ages, so will the workforce. Managing this ageing workforce will pose a new set of challenges for employers, employees, trade unions and government in relation to employment, productivity, skill shortages, the ability to meet changing demand, working conditions, living standards, welfare and health care provision.
A rapidly ageing population implies that there would be fewer working-age people in the economy, leading to a mismatch between demand and supply of required talent to fill in necessary positions. An economy that faces a talent mismatch may face adverse consequences, including declining productivity, higher labour costs, held back business expansion and reduced international competitiveness.
“The phenomenon of an ageing workforce is a reality since a number of years in Mauritius and needless to say that it is a very serious challenge, especially in the current context marked by the severe impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. The working paper provides stakeholders with avenues to mitigate the negative impacts of such a phenomenon and at the same time, unveiling the opportunities that it could bring to the economy,” says Mr. Ashit Gungah, the Executive Director of the NPCC.
The NPCC had set up a Productivity Committee (PC) comprising of representatives of the public and private sector, academia, non-governmental and community based organisations and trade unions to guide the research and provide advice to the Council.
The working paper kicks off with a review of the ageing workforce and lays down a conceptual framework for an accurate understanding of the many perspectives, concepts and terminology relevant to the ageing workforce phenomenon. It also proposes strategic orientations emerging from consultations, survey and focus group discussions, and international literature. The working paper points to the way forward in respect of the scope and potential for application at policy and enterprise level.
The working paper can be downloaded here.
Press articles on the working paper on Ageing Workforce
Les entreprises réticentes à recruter les seniors (l'express)
Le NPCC publie un ‘working paper’ sur le “Viellissement de la main-d’oeuvre” (inside news)
L’expérience professionnelle des personnes âgées un atout (Defi Quotidien)
Crise Démographique faires des seniors un atout de productivité (Business Mag)