Population before retirement works more in EU, but not in Romania

Romania ranks among the European Union countries with the lowest employment rates for the population in the age bracket prior to retirement (55 to 64 years), according to Eurostat.

Versus an EU average of 59%, Romania posts a modest 46.3% employment rate for the age group.

The rate has increased by 3.2 percentage points over the past decade, while the average improvement in the European Union was 13.3pp.

In 2018, employment rates for men and women aged 55 to 64 years were higher, at 65% for men and 52% for women, than the average rates for all adult men and women (60% and 48%) in the European Union (EU).

This was not the case in Romania, where the employment rates for adult persons was 52.7% versus 46.2% for the old age population.

The most striking aspect is the rapid pace at which employment rates for people aged 55 to 64 years increased between 2003 and 2018 (with little or no impact from the global financial and economic crisis). This was particularly notable in relation to the growing proportion of women in work.

(Photo: Pixabay)