Quarter of retirees would like to keep working but don't: ABN Amro

Around a quarter of a million retirees in the Netherlands would like to keep working but are not currently, ABN Amro estimates in a rapport. That "considerable" amount is expected to rise in the next ten years. These people are needed, according to researchers, to help with the staff shortage in many sectors.

There are 236,000 people who are eligible for retirement working currently. Together, around 486,000 retirees could keep working, according to the researchers. They said that is comparable to the number of students at colleges and universities in the Netherlands. The number of working retirees could increase even more in the next ten years because almost three-quarters of 55 to 64-year-olds surveyed say they want to continue working longer. That's more than 900,000 people.

Retirees wanting to continue working is not because of lack of money, ABN Amro said, based on the numbers provided by Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Dutch people are believed to have saved plenty, and continuing to work is strictly optional in most cases. The fact that they want to continue despite their retirement is mainly because they enjoy it.

Researchers believe that employers can do more to keep retirees with them. Offer them attractive job opportunities and flexible work hours on a part-time basis, sector economist Mario Bersem suggests. "The labor potential of retirees is significant and will increase yearly over the next ten years. If you add the experience and knowledge of older people, it is clear why continuing to work also serves a social interest," he says.