Besides accepting the harsh fact that by job market standard, 45 is an “old” age, these job seekers have to face many challenges in a world that changes at all times.  Photo: Shutterstock

Besides accepting the harsh fact that by job market standard, 45 is an “old” age, these job seekers have to face many challenges in a world that changes at all times.  Photo: Shutterstock

Sometimes, incidents happen, and people lose their job. A young person might just dust their hands off and move on, but after a given age, fear surrounds the idea of unemployment. But is it really harder for over45s--the oldest employment age group--to find work in Luxembourg?

Just a number, but not really

While it is definitely not the case in other areas, anyone above the age of 45 in Luxembourg is considered “older” when it comes to the employment market. This makes up 43,7% of the 16,403 job seekers currently residing in the grand duchy and enrolled in the national employment agency Adem.

Though 2020, due to the pandemic, saw a generally higher unemployment rate, the latter went down by 13% for the 45+ category over 2021. In the years prior to the health crisis, the numbers had stagnated around the 40-45% mark too.

One of the key factors for the proportionally larger number of “older” employees is that there are simply more people--30% of that age group--who have a disability or reduced work capacity. “This isn’t the case for the younger age groups,” Adem’s Pierre Gramme tells Delano in an interview. “This gives you a good idea of the particular structure of that group,” as he puts it. Gramme oversees the statistics branch of Adem.

“Those with a reduced work capacity are mostly employees who weren’t internally reclassified in the company but who had to be externally reclassified,” adds Gaby Wagner, Adem’s deputy director. She cites the example of a cleaner who--after years of manual labour--can’t perform a physically demanding job anymore: “Some aren’t able to continue in their former career due to health reasons or their education level,” which makes it hard for them to jump back on the bandwagon.

Stumbling back into the world of employment

Anyone who has seen ”--where 70 year-old Robert de Niro is hired as an intern in a startup led by sharp and smart Anne Hathaway--might be able to identify some of the challenges this age group faces in their search for jobs. Though the film is at times a gross exaggeration of age stereotypes, it raises interesting points regarding two essential but rarely acquired skills needed in the job market nowadays: technological knowledge and soft skills.

Aside from the which may scare some off, the criteria employers look for these days are simply different, .

Gone are the days of following a linear career path in a bank or a clothing store. Wagner explains: “The first thing asked is adaptability. People have to be aware that there are lots of jobs but maybe not the path they dreamed of. They have to be ready to change their ideas and maybe look in a totally different sector.” Gramme adds that those who are the most adaptable are the ones who tend to leave unemployment the fastest.

“The second quality that's most in-demand is teamwork--communication,” says Wagner. An in-depth knowledge of languages is important for that. Digitalisation is another factor to consider. As Luxembourg strives for digitalisation, technologies and softwares used in the workplace continue to evolve. Whereas in the past, having digital competences was a job in itself, it has now become a basic competence.

“I think we have to realise that insertion is really a continuous training job. We have to be ready to train in digital training, in soft skill training,” says Wagner.

Financial support and self-confidence

The harsh truth is that a company doesn’t have to employ older generations, but “a mix of age groups can only be beneficial for a company,” according to Wagner.

When asked whether not mentioning one’s age on the CV could avoid age-based discrimination, Wagner answers that honesty was important, even if that means missing out on some opportunities.

Besides, she says, there are plenty of subsidies available to help older job seekers and their future employees. The 6-9 week-long internship--one of the most effective measures organised by the state--allows a job seeker to work in the business they applied for and get to know the environment and staff. At the same time, the employer can see if the candidate is a good fit.

The EMI program, an inclusive employment measure, also allows older unemployed residents to access jobs in the public sector--communes, NGOs, foundations--to get back on the horse without costing the employer too much. Though it is accessible to anyone above the age of 30, the employment fund covers 100% of the wages for employees above the age of 50. 86% of those employed under the EMI scheme are over 50, showing the utility of such a framework.

Other measures include trainings on the state of the current job market--which changes consistently--and classes on how to build a CV and successfully go through the interviewing process. Information sessions regarding the financial aids available to people over the age of 45 who seek employment are also part of the reinsertion program. The most important part of the preparation for older job seekers is “to help them gain self-confidence in their skills and adaptability,” says Wagner.  

The stigma of accepting a helping hand

Whether the aids exist and whether they are used, is another issue. Luxembourg’s socio-economic research institute Liser recently according to which half (49%) of the eligible over45s didn’t use the aids provided. Though it represents an improvement since the first introduction of such measures since 2003, the numbers can cause some head-scratching.

But the job market, financial aids, and a deviated work path are also a question of pride and mindset for some. “A lot of people think that it's a failure if you're looking for a job,” Wagner explains the phenomenon: “It's not yet in our mentality to accept that accidents of life can happen and shake up your life.” Accepting something that may appear as a crutch--when it’s not--may hurt the self-confidence of some.

While the task of teaching a new mindset and skills may seem Herculean, it is a shared challenge between the agency and the applicant. Wagner concludes: “If older job seekers are ready to adapt, there is no reason to not reinsert them in the market. It’s a matter of keeping an open mind.”