Over 300,000 people 65+ continue in the workforce

Last year over 300 thousand Netherlands residents over the age of 65 still had paid work. That amounts to 3.3 percent of the Dutch workforce being 65 years old or older, Statistics Netherlands reported on Wednesday.

The number of older workers has been increasing for years. The growth is partially due to the aging population - the total number of over-65-year-olds in the country increased by more than half from 2.1 million to 3.3 million between 2003 and 2020.

But more importantly, more people over the age of 65 continued working, according to the stats office. The net employment rate of this age group more than doubled between 2003 and 2020. This is especially true for 65-year-olds, due to the gradual increase of the state pension age to 66 years and 4 months in 2020.

Of the over-65-year-olds with paid work, one in ten was over the age of 75. Their number increased from 9 thousand in 2003 to 30 thousand last year. In 2020, these were mainly men doing odd jobs and working less than 12 hours a week.

The proportion of older workers vary considerably between occupational groups. Relatively many visual artists are older, with over a quarter being over 65. This age group is also well represented among drivers at 15 percent, and among furniture makers, tailors and upholsterers at 14 percent.