Increasing number of Czechs working past retirement age

Czechs seem increasingly unwilling to put their feet up when they reach retirement age. In fact, the percentage of Czechs who receive a pension and keep working is among the highest in the world, according to a new study. What’s more, 60 percent of Czech workers say they too want to remain in employment when they become pensioners.

Jiří Remr

According to a recent study by the international research agency Axa, Czechs are among the most active of old-age pensioners. Currently, 22 percent of retirees work in the Czech Republic (which has a relatively low pensionable age) and that number is expected to grow in the future. Why are Czechs staying at work when they could be enjoying a well-earned retirement? Sociologist Jiří Remr has studied this area. He says money is not the main issue:

“It seems that the main reason is not to lose social contact. People want to stay in touch with other people, with their natural social environment. This reason seems to be quite important for nine out of ten people who would like to continue working. The other thing is lifestyle. They simply get used to getting up in the morning and having their own routines and they can’t imagine this would suddenly stop. Keeping the current living standards is also a reason, but it is not the strongest one.”

Zdenka Fialová

Zdenka Fialová, who works as a receptionist, confirms Jiří Remr’s words:

“I missed the strict schedule I used to have at work. I left for about half a year, but I realised very soon that it wasn’t good for me. When you retire, you are still full of strength and you simply miss your work. Of course the job improves my financial situation. But when I started working again, my husband was still alive, so I didn’t need the money. I think I need it more for myself.”

According to Jiří Remr it is mostly people with higher education, better jobs and higher salaries who want to continue working after they retire:

“When they are in their late fifties or sixties, they feel that they are on the peak of their career. They think they can still be useful to younger people and younger employees, so they tend to stay on the labour market longer. As for the gender, males tend to stay longer than females.”

Most working retirees tend to stay with their previous employer, but they often choose different positions. Older people prefer jobs with less responsibility, says Mr Remr, and they prefer part time to full time jobs. However, Czech employers are not very keen on employing those over 60:

“They feel that younger people have a whole career in front of them. The other reason is flexibility: employers usually think that older people won’t be able to adapt to changes. They also think that older people won’t be willing to educate themselves further.”

However, with an increasing number of retirees as the population ages, Czech employers may well have to change their attitude to hiring the over 60s.