More than two-thirds of workers over 40 do not think they can work until the legal retirement age

2023-04-19 06:55:23

“How do 40-59 year olds project themselves towards the end of their career? » The barometric survey of the Research Center for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions (Crédoc) “Living conditions and aspirations of the French”, carried out each year in three stages (January, June, October) since 1978, conducted in 2023 with The Adecco Group Foundation, was carried out against the backdrop of debates on pension reform: 3,051 people aged 15 and over were interviewed between January 13 and 26, and among them, 960 working people aged 40 to 59 years old who spoke about their concerns, their personal and professional end-of-career goals.

The results revealed exclusively by The world, Wednesday, April 19, announce three major challenges for human resources managers in 2023: the health of seniors, the maintenance of their remuneration, and anticipating the professional development of employees from the age of 40.

More than two-thirds (68%) of working people aged 40-59 fear that they are not in good enough health to last until retirement, the study highlights in particular. In 2019, the Ministry of Labor already indicated that 37% of all employees did not consider themselves capable of continuing until retirement. Beyond health issues, 52% now fear fatigue, weariness and a loss of motivation, particularly in executives.

Possible health problems at the end of their career affect women more (71%) than men (65%), even if they concern all professional categories, and more strongly workers (72%) than managers (62%) . These concerns can be explained by the significant intensification of work, uninterrupted since the 2000s.

Low success of phased retirement

But for Sandra Hoibian, the general manager of Crédoc, it is the lack of consideration of the effects of the tertiarisation that has put women in the front line: “There are high rates of concern in the service professions, where mental and physical hardship is little taken into account. Women with choppy careers and double days are more numerous in the service, care and trade professions, where you have to work quickly, respond to requests within the hour, and always with a smile. Their emotional charge is important. »

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Workers over 40 are also numerous (52%) to fear a possible deterioration in their income at the end of their career. This explains, among other things, the low success of part-time or gradual retirement type schemes for the last years of professional activity, which would result in a loss of salary. The only end-of-career scheme that garners the interest of the working people questioned by the Crédoc is a reduction in working time with maintenance of income. Inflation went through it.

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