The percentage of people over 60 who are outside the labor force grows every day, according to the report on the situation of the Costa Rican labor market for the second quarter of 2016, by the School of Economics at the National University.
Although researchers from the Observatory of Economic and Social Situation from UNA say this may be because there are more people who retire or get tired of looking for work and start benefiting from their savings, the National Council of Older People (CONAPAM) indicates that finding a space in the workplace gets very difficult for people over 60 years old.
Zulema Villalta, president of CONAPAM said that about 75% of the population aged between 60 and 65, has the ability to occupy spaces within formal employability.
What happens is that there is no chance in formal employability for senior citizens to develop their full capacities, while the informal activity has given occupation to this population, activities of home care, care of grandchildren, for example, that are not precisely given a decent employability,”
More than 500 thousand people over 60 years old are out of the workforce. Villalta added that many of the jobs seniors have, do not collaborated in their development.
The woman added that a 2008 survey revealed that these people do not want charity, but are willing -mostly- to develop in areas such as farming, pastries, storytellers, tailoring, among others.
said Villalta.