RECORD NUMBERS WORK PAST PENSION AGE

首先要了解英國：
人口約6千萬（Population:60,441,457 (July 2005 est.) ）
Labor force:29.78 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 1.5%, industry 19.1%, services 79.5% (2004)
法定退休年齡：66歲（待確定）



RECORD NUMBERS WORK PAST PENSION AGE By Andrew Taylor, Employment Correspondent Friday, July 20, 2007 (FT)


取自Financial Times
7月18日（2007）公佈的官方數位顯示，在英國，超過法定領取養老金年齡但仍在工作的人口比例，已達到創紀錄水平。

英國國家統計局(Office of National Statistics)的資料顯示，在截至今年5月底的12個月中，英國就業人數增加了18萬，達到2907萬，在新增就業人口中，65歲以上男性和60歲以上女性的比例僅略低於50%。

自上世紀90年代中期以來，超過領取養老金年齡的就業人口比例已上升逾3個百分點，達到11%，因為人們愈加擔心，壽命在不斷延長，而私營行業養老金供應情況卻在不斷惡化。
自1992年以來，超過領取養老金年齡的在職人口數量，已增加40萬人，達到120萬，其中三分之二為女性。

年齡與就業網路(The Age and Employment Network)首席執行官克裏斯•鮑爾(Chris Ball)表示：“我們的感覺是，往往出於經濟需要，許多人都在接受低於他們資歷和能力的工作。這是對重要資源的浪費，而且是在公然貶低長者。”

“許 多人在超過法定退休年齡後仍繼續工作，因為來自養老金界定供款計畫(defined contribution scheme)的收入有所下降。另外，由於界定利益計畫(defined benefit scheme)遇到困難，在臨退休前提出自願提前退休以獲得‘豐厚遣散費'(golden handshake)的雇員減少了。”
【這golden handshake 是1960年首先出現的(n. Slang.)：A lucrative severance agreement offered to an employee typically as an inducement to retire.】
然而，經濟學家表示，老齡和移民工人人數的增加，幫助填補了職位空缺，並抑制了緊張勞動力市場上薪金的上漲。

在截至5月底的3個月中，扣除獎金的平均年收入增幅（被視為衡量薪資上漲的最佳指標）下降了0.1個百分點，至3.5%。引人注目的收入增幅下降更快，達到0.6個百分點，也為3.5%。
“……匯豐(HSBC)英國經濟學家卡倫•沃德(Karen Ward)表示，可用勞動力的增長“正是（英國央行(Bank of England)）行長所要求的”。她將當前的趨勢描述為“金髮勞動力市場”(Goldilocks labour market)——一切都“剛剛好”，年長者和移民數量的增加滿足了對工人需求的增長。……”

【She described current trends as a “Goldilocks labour market” where everything was “just right” with rising demand for workers being met by increasing numbers of older people and migrants. 這GOLDILOCKS 翻譯有問題(起碼要採用"金髮熊寶寶"說法，參考：
The Goldilocks phenomenon, something being just right, not too big or hot or small or cold, a concept used in astronomy and economics.】The "Goldilocks phenomenon" refers to the necessity that planetary conditions such as size or temperature be "just right" in order to sustain life. The term derives from the story of Goldilocks, who preferred porridge which was "not too hot, and not too cold".



年齡問題雇主論壇(The Employers Forum on Age)首席執行官薩姆•默瑟(Sam Mercer)表示，雇主願意雇用年長的員工，特別是在去年10月引入新的年齡歧視法之後更是如此，這反映了人們態度的可喜轉變。

她表示：“年齡問題雇主論壇的成員發現，許多人即使過了可以領取養老金的年紀，但如果可以選擇，他們確實會選擇繼續工作……隨著壽命的延長，人們意識到他們負擔不起30年的退休生活。”
譯者/梁鷗

本文章英文 RECORD NUMBERS WORK PAST PENSION AGE
By Andrew Taylor, Employment Correspondent Friday, July 20, 2007

The proportion of people working past the state pension age in UK is running at record levels, according to official figures published on the 18th July.
Men above 65 and women above 60 accounted for just under half of the 180,000 rise in employment to 29.07m during the 12 months to the end of May according to the Office for National Statistics in UK.

The proportion of people above pension age with jobs has risen by more than 3 percentage points to 11 per cent since the mid 1990s, as concerns over rising longevity and worsening private sector pension provision have mounted.
Since 1992, the number of people above pensionable age in work has risen by 400,000 to 1.2m – two thirds of them women.

Chris Ball, chief executive of The Age and Employment Network, said: “Our impression is that many people are accepting jobs below their qualifications and capacities, often out of economic necessity. This remains a waste of important resources and is frankly demeaning to older people.

“Many stay in work beyond state retirement age because of the decline in incomes from defined contributions pension schemes. Also, with defined benefits schemes hitting difficulty, fewer employers are offering voluntary early retirement as a ‘golden handshake' leading up to retirement.”

Increased availability of older people and migrant workers, however, has helped fill vacancies and restrain inflationary pay rises in a tight labour market, say economists.

Average annual earnings growth excluding bonuses – regarded as the best measure of pay inflation – dipped by 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.5 per cent during the three months to the end of May. The headline earnings figure fell even faster by 0.6 of a percentage point, also to 3.5 per cent.

Karen Ward, UK economist at HSBC, said the rise in labour availability was “just what the Governor [of the Bank of England] ordered”. She described current trends as a “Goldilocks labour market” where everything was “just right” with rising demand for workers being met by increasing numbers of older people and migrants.

Sam Mercer, chief executive of The Employers Forum on Age, said willingness by employers to take on older workers, particularly following the introduction of new age discrimination laws last October, reflected a welcome change in attitudes.
She said: “EFA members have found that many people who are given the choice do choose to remain in work even after they are eligible for their pension . . . as people live longer there is a realisation that they can't afford a 30-year retirement.”