Increase in the number of elderly workers in the Philippines

Workers aged 65 and above increased to 38.2% in June, up from 34.9% in May, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
By: | August 12, 2022
Topics: DE&I | Employee Experience | News | Philippines | Recruitment

Based on the latest data, a total of 2,538,000 workers aged 65 and above were recorded in June, an increase of 234,000 from 2,304,000 in May.

“I suppose you will be looking for a job, you need to augment your household income to cover the minimum expenditure,” PSA Undersecretary Dennis Mapa said at a press conference.

Under the labour code of the Philippines, the compulsory retirement age in the country is 65 years old.

However, that may change in the future as Senior Citizens party-list Representative Rodolfo Ordanes Jr has recently filed House Bill 3220, which proposes to amend the Labour Code by adding a provision that “an employee who reached the age of 65 years can choose to continue their employment provided that he qualifies under bona fide occupational qualifications of his job”.

Ordanes said his proposal is a progression from the Anti-Age Discrimination Law earlier passed, a measure which has enabled many seniors to continue working.

READ: Employees in the Philippines can choose to extend working life

“Society has opened up opportunities for the age-old members of the population, that is what we should do because these seniors are still very productive members of our society,” NEDA secretary general and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said, according to GMA News Online.