Older Australians have hit back at Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s suggestion that they remain in the workforce longer to help keep the economy afloat.
“It is not that simple,” says Melbourne-based Santosh Kumar who has spent over three decades of his life teaching in universities across Australia.
“I have been writing to state and federal level politicians over last 20 years seeking their attention to this issue of no job opportunities for senior citizens who want to remain in the workforce but nothing has been done,” he says.
“And now this suggestion of remaining in the workforce sounds so farcical. They [politicians] are suggesting this because they have not gone through this problem.”
On Tuesday, the Federal Treasurer said he was concerned Australia’s ageing population was an ‘economic time bomb’.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg speaks during a press conference. Source: AAP
In his Op-Ed for The Australian Financial Review titled Australia needs to prepare for an ageing population, the Treasurer wrote, ‘Our population is ageing and this will place new demands on our health, aged care and pension systems.
‘Since the first Intergenerational Report was released in 2002, we have gone from 13 per cent, or 2.5 million people, being aged 65 and over, to 16 per cent, or 4 million people, today."
Mr Fryderberg suggested older Australians needed to be upskilled to remain active in the workforce.
“With Australians in work currently undertaking 80 per cent of their training before the age of 21, this will have to change if we want to continue to see more Australians stay engaged in work for longer,” he opined.
He said this will reduce the tax burden and also enable ‘people to save for their retirement’.
While older Australians concur with the Treasurer’s concern and suggestion, many feel the government has no idea of the ‘challenges on the ground’.
Nalin Sharda (left) and Santosh Kumar (right) Source: Supplied
“I am fit. I am in good shape and willing to work. But where are the jobs?’ asks Nalin Sharda, a retired academic living in Melbourne.
“I was offered a voluntary retirement package and I took it to give a chance to the younger skilled generation. But I have a lot of time before I become unable to work. I have applied for several jobs but haven’t even received a call or an interview,” he says.
Mr Sharda, who has worked in temporary roles with the Victorian Election Commission and the Australian Bureau of Statistics during the 2016 Census, says jobs are very hard to come by and when they do, they pay a meagre salary.
“I have still taken it up to stay connected with the community and stay active,” he says.
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Mr Kumar volunteers two days a week and supervises two students pursuing their PhD at RMIT.
“I love what I do. But instead of earning, I am spending from my own pocket. The government has provided no support, no opportunities to seniors like me willing to remain in the workforce,” he laments.
Mr Kumar says if the government is serious about their proposition to keep more seniors in the workforce, they need to create a separate arm within Centrelink to support seniors looking for job opportunities.
“We have vast work experience in this country. We are fit to work. We want to work. It keeps us active and engaged with the community. It is time they provided us with support to look for work like they help the beginners,” he says.
Mr Sharda adds, “We are acutely aware of the changing demography. The young people in this country can’t support the needs of the growing old population. It is time the government found opportunities for us to get back into the workforce.”
