Austria before the increase in the standard retirement age for women
Gaps between the active employment phase and receiving a pension.
VS – 08/2021
In recent years, with the exception of
Poland and Romania, all of the EU member states have decided to readjust the
standard retirement age for women to that of men in their old-age pension
systems. In Austria, this readjustment from 60 to 65 years will start in 2024
and it should be completed during the second half of 2033.
However, the age limit does not
necessarily indicate whether a person can remain in employment. The age limit,
the actual retirement date and the end of the active employment phase might
well differ significantly. This is particularly true for women in many European
countries, including Austria and Germany.
Existing gaps between the end of the working phase and retirement
The Austrian research institutes, the
Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) and the Research and Advisory Centre for
the World ofWork (FORBA), have published a joint study on this topic entitled
"Exiting the labour market, retirement
and raising the retirement age for women from 2024".
The analysis of women's retirement in
Austria since 2010 shows that there are huge gaps between the termination of
employment and receiving a pension. At present, only almost half of all women
receive their pension directly from an employment relationship. Only one third
of women are employed in the hotel and catering industry as well as other
economic services. There are also significant differences when it comes to the
size of the company. Two-thirds of pensions from large companies are paid
directly, whereas in companies with fewer than ten employees, only one third of
pensions are paid directly. There are also significant differences with regard
to qualifications and wage levels. Direct retirement from employment is more
common in higher-paying companies. Women with gaps of up to five years are more
likely to come from low-paying companies.
Furthermore, the analysis used qualitative
company case studies to examine both the specific company and the individual
views of the women employed there on the raising of the pension age. There are
also clear differences between the specific sectors here. In particular, the
companies surveyed in the care, retail trade and cleaning sectors are
insufficiently prepared for raising the age limit for women. Previously they
hardly focused on the adaptation measures that would be needed, such as
maintaining the ability to work or redesigning workplaces to meet the needs of
the elderly. The unemployed women who were also interviewed see little chance
of finding a new job or working until the age of 60, mainly due to their own
health problems and their age.
The increase in the statutory retirement age will not automatically lead to the active employment phase being extended
The authors of the study believe that the
world of work needs to be adapted in such a way that it is age-appropriate and
geared to maintaining the ability to work in order for an increase in the
statutory retirement age to lead to a significant increase in the active
employment phase of women. Small and medium-sized companies also need targeted
and easily accessible advisory services for implementing the needed adaptation
measures.
The results of the analysis can also be
transferred to Germany. In order to ensure that the increase in the statutory
retirement age leads to an extension of the working phase, it must be
accompanied with a wide range of preventive measures. In particular, SMEs have
a special need for advice in this area, as the first prevention report from the
National Prevention Conference* has shown.