Ageing Europe

TALLINN - Minister Hanno Pevkur took part in the meeting of the European ministers of social affairs and of labor in Sopot, Poland, reports news agency LETA. The focus of the discussion among ministers was on the changes caused by the demographic situation. The ageing population and the consequent changes on the labor market are among the principal issues for the Polish Presidency of the EU.

In his speech, Minister of Social Affairs of Estonia Hanno Pevkur said he agrees with the importance of the subject raised by the Presidency. “The population of the entire Europe is ageing and this fact needs to be taken into account in all areas,” he said, adding that often the ageing of the labor force is seen as a problem, but it ought to be seen as a challenge and as an opportunity.
“The elderly in Estonia are rather active on the labor market, when compared with their peers in Europe. The employment rate of the elderly also remained rather high during the economic crisis,” he explained, adding that this was helped by the taxation environment that favors elderly staying at work, as well as the labor market measures targeted to the elderly.