70% employed seniors forced to work

70% employed seniors forced to work

BANGALORE: Is India no country for old people? A survey has shown that the aged in the country continue to work hard. Worse, 70% of the working seniors say they do so out of compulsion, not by choice. The survey conducted by the Population Research Centre, Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore, has revealed that 42% of the male elderly continue to work even after crossing 60. And if one thought 60 plus was the higher age group, digest this. A good 13% of the male population aged above 80 also meaningfully employ themselves.

The shocker in the survey, conducted in the seven states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Maharashtra, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal, is that 70% of the employed elderly are forced to work. With most of them in India still dependent on their children and choosing to stay with them, experts say it is the younger generation which forces the elderly to earn a livelihood and take care of their own expenses.

A good 49% of the seniors in India depend on their sons while 15% are dependent on their spouses. What is heartening is that a good 25% of them are not dependent on anyone to take care of their needs. "It is unfortunate that the elders are made to work even after they attain a certain age. The survey proves that households with elders are better off largely because of the money contributed by seniors," said K S James, head of the Population Research Centre.

10k is sample size

The seven states across the length and breadth of the country were chosen based on the sizeable population of the elderly there. While 8,792 households in the seven states put together were covered in the survey, 8,329 households were interviewed for the study. In all, a good 10,604 individuals were interviewed for this survey. The survey was done by ISEC in collaboration with the Institute of Economic Growth and the Tata Institute of Social Science. New Delhi based UNFPA was the supporting institute for the survey.

Karnataka not included

In Karnataka, the birth rate is low and the mortality rate has not declined which is why the density of elderly is not as high as in the chosen seven states. The demographic structure of Karnataka is such that it does not hold a significant number of elderly citizens. Karnataka, with a large number of young migrants, was therefore not a part of the survey.

QUOTE

Cost of living to blame

It is sad that the elderly continue to work as they need to contribute significantly to the family income. It appears they are forced to work rather than do it largely by choice. It is a trend slowly emerging as joint families are disappearing. Given the standard of living now, the elders too continue to work till they can to contribute to the family income, both in rural and urban areas

R S Deshpande, director, ISEC


WORKING INTO THE SUNSET

42% of the male elderly continue to work even after crossing 60

49% of the seniors in India depend on their sons

15% are dependent on their spouses

13% of men above 80 continue to work

(Source: ISEC)

Key observations

*Illiteracy, poor health and social backwardness are inter-related when it comes to the elderly. That clearly results in welfare loss of the elderly and makes them rather vulnerable to being neglected.

*There is a necessity for inter-generational solidarity - the dependence on the next generation must grow, only then will society be able to give the elderly their due respect. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/70-employed-seniors-forced-to-work/articleshow/20188875.cms