Browsing by Subject "työmarkkinat"

This Master's thesis addresses the challenges and opportunities faced by the aging and aged (45-64-year-olds), and offers suggestions for solutions for the situation in the Finnish labour market. The purpose of this thesis is to highlight and critically evaluate those paradoxes in the working life, in which political aims and societal actions do not seem to meet with the actual situation in the labour market. These paradoxes are related to the themes of extending the length of careers, labour shortage and ageism. In Finland the topic has been widely discussed in the public domain because of the changing labour market and the difficult economic situation first during the depression in the early 90's and now again after the recession between 2008 and 2009. The research data consists of columns published in the national newspaper Helsingin Sanomat from 2009 when the recession ended until the research was conducted in 2014. The method of analysis is qualitative content analysis. All of the research questions used in the analysis were data-oriented. Age-related challenges in the working life are scrutinised in the research through exploring working life systems, individual qualities and diversity in work communities. The suggestions for solutions are scrutinised from the perspectives of responsibility and tangible actions. The conclusions of this research suggest there are multiple problems and challenges related to the aging and the aged in the labour market in relation to recruiting and laying off employees, inflexibility of pension schemes and discriminatory attitudes. On the other hand, there are also positive connotation with mature age such as work and life experience, flexibility and loyalty towards an employer. The suggestions for improvements highlight joint responsibility of the situation shared by political leaders, employer and the aging themselves. The suggestions also emphasise the importance of more flexible solutions for the working life and eliminating ageism. Overall, eliminating ageism in the working life is an complex issue as there are so many parties involved, it is difficult to locate and the experiences of discrimination vary. In any case, examining all the contradictions and paradoxes related to age and the working life and taking them apart makes it easier to relate the challenges the aging population faces and their possibilities in the labour market. By doing this it is possible to affect the actual situation in the labour market.