Manpower Ministry says 29% of workers will be over 50 by 2015By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia
SINGAPORE : The Manpower Ministry estimates that in 10 years' time, 29 percent of Singapore workers will be over 50 years old.
Last year, workers aged 50 and above comprised 22 percent of the labour force.
But only 65 percent of older men aged 55 to 64 are still working, compared to 80 percent in countries like Japan and the United States.
With older women, it is only 22 percent, compared to about 50 percent in developed countries.
Channel NewsAsia finds out how some employers keep older workers employed beyond their retirement age.
At a National Day Rally speech on Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said: "You go to a coffeeshop, you say one 'kopi-C-kosong', one 'kopi-gao' and one 'teh-o-peng'. No problem! Everybody gets the drinks they want! So I think older workers can do it."
This tribute from Mr Lee to older workers struck a chord with coffeeshop assistant Hoon Juat Eng.
She was 57 when her ice-cream factory closed down.
But she did not want to retire and soon found a new job as a kitchen assistant with Killiney Kopitiam.
"I would continue working for as long as I could. Work gives me a sense of purpose," she said.
The owner of Killiney Kopitiam said older workers like Hoon give younger workers a run for their money.
Mrs Woon-Leong Bak Heng, Owner of Killiney Kopitiam, said: "They are fast at their work, they have good memory, they are experienced and very reliable."
Mr Lee also singled out 70-year-old radiographer Ng Hon Wing who works at Singapore General Hospital.
Ms Anna Fok, Director of Human Resource at SGH, said: "They come with rich experiences, they also bring with them wisdom. And they are able to impart their life experiences and guide the younger colleagues in their respective careers."
Throughout his 44-year career, he never stopped learning.
Mr Ng said: "The important thing is to have the right attitude, to continue to upgrade yourself, so whatever comes along, take the opportunity to learn it, master it, overcome the obstacles.
"And I keep abreast of new technologies. I always attend conferences, read library books, journals, things like that."
About one in 10 hospital staff is above 55 years old.
The hospital also employs 77 older workers who are past their retirement age of 62.
The hospital said not only is it more cost-efficient to employ older workers, they are also a great asset when it comes to mentoring younger workers.
Ms Fok added: "We encourage all our supervisors to conduct retirement planning with all the staff at least six months before the intended date of retirement.
"For those who are in leadership positions...even before age 60, we will encourage them to transit to a different role, so that would create opportunities for the younger ones to move into the leadership positions. That is where post-retirement roles like teachers and mentors can be created to keep them interested in the job."
It is employers like SGH who show that with good planning, older workers can continue to be role models and add value to the organisation.