However, the situation encourages paying more attention to increasing the employment of older clients. People over 50 years old without work make up slightly more than a third (38.8%) of all Employment Service clients. Although their registered unemployment has decreased by 0.6 percentage points compared to the situation a year ago, it exceeds the national average by 1.4 percentage points, which now stands at 8%.
“We surveyed employers who hired the most older clients this year. They confirmed that these employees bring valuable professional experience, responsibility, and achieve good results in organizations. With such stories, we aim to break stereotypes because we must address the challenges of the shortage of qualified employees now, without waiting for the future,” said Inga Nomeikienė, advisor at the Service Organization Department.
Older people bring diversity to employee teams
Klaipėda University Hospital, looking for qualified employees, is open to people of various ages. Although older employees come through the natural flow of candidates, they stand out with accumulated experience, responsibility, high work ethic, and the ability to make decisions in complex situations.
The Employment Service has also observed a trend in recent years that many people in this age group successfully retrain and find jobs as nursing assistants or in similar positions.
The experience of UAB “SLT industrial components” shows that employees in this age group often stand out for their meticulousness, work discipline, and patience – qualities especially valuable in manufacturing processes where accuracy and quality are important. Older employees integrate most successfully in parts assembly, packaging, and quality control areas.
Representatives of UAB “Pon Bike Lithuania” state that the most important things for the company are employee motivation, responsibility, and the desire to be part of the team. The organization consciously values generational diversity because it aims for different experiences and perspectives to create a strong, supportive work environment. They work successfully in warehouse, assembly, and painting departments in various production positions.
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Looking for qualified employees, representatives of UAB “Dominari” noticed that the involvement of older colleagues helps maintain organizational stability and helps create a work environment based on age diversity. They perform best in production positions where meticulousness, technical skills, and attention to detail are important.
Employment of older clients – one of the most important state goals
Since March, the Employment Service has been implementing an initiative to help motivated candidates find jobs in the public sector. During this period, almost 270 clients have been directed to individual consultations, of whom 35 have already started working in the public sector.
The Employment Service also contributed to the preparation of the “Age-Friendly Employer” guidelines, encouraging employers to create an inclusive work environment and better appreciate the experience and competencies of older employees.
Last year, a study initiated by the Employment Service and conducted by “Vilmorus” revealed that almost half of the country’s population over 50 years old (46%) believe that employers’ attitudes towards them are negative. A third of them have experienced discrimination when applying for jobs or at the workplace. However, significant work experience and loyalty are distinctive traits of this group of people.
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