New Zealand’s workforce is getting older, but our workplaces are still too fixated on youth. More than one-third of working New Zealanders are older than 55, and about a quarter of people aged 65 and over are still in paid work.
By international standards, our nation has a high rate of labour force participation of people older than 65: around 24%. In the UK, roughly 10% of those aged 65+ work. In Australia, about 12% do. This trend is expected to continue as the 65+ population grows from about 15% of Kiwis today to more than 20% by the late 2030s. “The proportion of older people in employment has been steadily increasing over time,” 2023 Census spokesperson Dr Rosemary Goodyear said last year.
The Office for Seniors has found that about a third of people over 65 are working because they have to for financial reasons. Goodyear says there are several factors which may be contributing to this trend, such as better health, longer life expectancy, and financial pressures surrounding retirement.
Age no problem, but ageism is
As more Kiwis work past the retirement age, ageism has become one of the most persistent yet least acknowledged forms of workplace discrimination. Hiring biases, underemployment, and problematic workplace cultures still undermine older workers.
The Office for Seniors defines ageism as the stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) based on age. Combatting it is a core pillar of its response to the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing.
In practice, that shows up in hiring managers assuming older candidates are, for example, too expensive, slow or not tech-savvy, and quietly moving their CVs to the no pile. Recruitment processes can amplify ageism. Age-related information, such as long work histories or graduation dates, can trigger subconscious assumptions. With hundreds of CVs to sift through, hiring managers might fall back on stereotypes.
International research cited by BBC Worklife shows that over‑50s who lose a job are more than twice as likely as younger workers to be still unemployed two years later. A 50‑year‑old applicant can be up to three times less likely to get an interview than a 28‑year‑old with a similar resume.
New Zealand research feeding into the Older Workers Employment Action Plan similarly finds age discrimination, often combined with gender, ethnicity or disability, as a key reason older people struggle to find and keep work. Ageism can fly under the radar in many forms. Take mandatory retirement ages for some roles, and KiwiSaver rules that limit employer contributions for workers past a certain age as two examples.
“You don’t stop learning”
Behind the statistics are older workers who still want to contribute but struggle to find opportunities. Eldernet director Esther Perriam says underemployment has become increasingly common, with many older people able to secure part-time work but finding full-time roles much harder to come by. She says ageism happens across all parts of employment in New Zealand.
Many older workers are also balancing paid employment with caring responsibilities. Esther says more older people are moving into part-time work to help younger family members stay in full-time employment, as many households now rely on multiple income streams. “Often, a grandparent is required to assist with the kids before and after school.”
She bristles at the lazy stereotype that older workers can’t keep up. “Older people in our workforce are the best touch typers in the place. They’re not three-fingered pickers. These people can type at 100 words a minute. There are lots of skills that older people bring to the workplace. You don’t stop being a learner. You don’t stop being curious just because you get older.”
Esther sees age as an extra filter piled on top of everything else. “Like most aspects, it’s just an extra layer of stuff that people can put on older people that impacts. They’re just not right for this. The age thing becomes another filter that people apply.” She believes employers who get past that filter gain a major advantage.
NZIER Business of Ageing research warns that if employers fail to adapt, the country will squander the economic potential of a growing older workforce, which contributes through paid work but also through tax, spending, caregiving and volunteering.
“I would strongly encourage people to look at older people as workers. They will know to de-escalate situations very quickly because they’ve been doing it for ages,” Esther says. “They’ll be drawing on a far wider range of skills and experiences than younger staff members. They’re often exceptional at keeping the pace, then slowing things down. They’re a real asset to any workplace.”
What inclusive workplaces could look like
Globally, the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing calls on governments and employers to change how we think, feel and act toward ageing. Combatting ageism is one of its four key action areas. Back home, the Office for Seniors’ Older Workers Employment Action Plan sets out actions to support older workers to stay in sustainable, meaningful employment and to push employers toward more inclusive practices.
That can look like rethinking recruitment so job ads and CV screens focus on skills rather than age, and giving managers the tools to recognise their own biases. It can also mean flexible work that recognises caregiving and grandparenting, and investing in training and technology so older workers are not written off as ‘too close to retirement’ to develop. It also means deliberately building mixed‑age teams, and revisiting retirement, benefit and savings settings that quietly penalise people who want or need to keep working.
As our nation’s workforce continues to age, the challenge isn’t whether older people can keep working, but whether workplaces are prepared to recognise the value they already bring. Age should be seen as experience to build on, not a reason to overlook someone. What is most needed is a culture shift away from seeing older workers as ‘hanging on’ and towards recognising the value they already bring to the workforce.
The Eldernet Group is New Zealand’s most trusted provider of information for older people and their support networks. Visit www.eldernet.co.nz for more.
