“When you work all your life and suddenly lose your job after twenty or thirty years, it’s hard to find your way around the labor market quickly,” says Kateřina Musilová, coordinator of the Golden Work Foundation’s Golden Work project, which supports people over 50 in the labor market. .
–
Most candidates have low self-esteem and lose motivation, often due to negative competition experiences and prejudices.
–
When you lose your job after thirty years, it is difficult to find your way around the labor market
Kateřina Musilová, project Zlatá práce
—
According to Musilová, people in their fifties would welcome more practical help from the state: where you can look for work everywhere, help with compiling a CV, retraining or professional courses tailored to each individual person and their situation. “Labor offices provide this assistance, but only a fraction of applicants will get it,” Musilová said.
–
“Unfortunately, we also find that the experience of our candidates with employees of the employment office is not very positive,” Musilová added. They feel unworthy, even frustrated, and this is then negatively reflected in the motivation to look for work.
–
Influence of demography
“Others who can change this situation are employers who can offer part-time work, flexible working hours or the opportunity to work from home,” she added. More people over the age of 50 without work may be related to demography. “The increase in the share of older people among job seekers is a long-term trend,” believes Jaroslava Sladká from the press department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.
–
The number of people in their fifties without work increased by more than 5.2 thousand compared to the same period last year. In July 2019, their share of total unemployment was 33.6 percent. At the same time, total unemployment fell year on year.
–
However, comparing 2020 and 2021 is not the best means of monitoring long-term trends. “The year 2020 is significantly burdened by the effects of the pandemic on the labor market, when there was a jump in unemployment. This was more pronounced in middle-aged people, “added Sladká.
–
Tomáš Dombrovský from LMC, which operates the Jobs.cz and Práce.cz portals, offers a slightly more detailed explanation. “Last year, when people were fired in restaurants, hotels, services and tourism, it affected people regardless of age group. It also diluted the structure in the records of the labor office, “he said.
–
But that has changed now. “Recruitment has started since the autumn and younger people find work faster. We return to conscious or unconscious discrimination common on the Czech market, where young people have priority. People over the age of fifty or fifty are again the overlooked group, “added Dombrovský.
–
Priority group
According to Kateřina Beránková from the Labor Office, people in their fifties are among the priority groups in helping them find a job. “These include retraining, support for community service, individual counseling, start-up allowance or allowances for the creation or reservation of socially useful jobs,” the aid described.
–
According to her, jobseekers over the age of 50 do not hesitate, for example, to take a fixed-term job, some prefer part-time work. However, it is said that certain obstacles, such as health restrictions, may prevent them from working. Employers may also give preference to other jobseekers due to concerns about the older age of employees.
–
“At the same time, these are often people who have rich life and professional experience, have grown-up children, and therefore can devote much more time to their work,” Beránková concluded.
—
