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Do Firms Hire More Older Workers? Evidence from Germany

Author

Listed:
  • Fabian Busch
  • Robert Fenge
  • Carsten Ochsen

Abstract

This paper analyses how demographic changes of the labour force affect labour demand. Do firms adjust their hiring behaviour to an ageing society? Combining data at the firm level and the administrative district level, we analyse the hiring behaviour of firms. Our findings suggest that firms with an ageing workforce hire relatively more older workers. Since the willingness to hire older workers also increases with the share of older unemployed, the propensity to employ older people does generally rise with an ageing labour force. Also, part-time employment induces firms to engage more older workers but this effect disappears for large firms. In contrast, partial retirement regulations have a negative effect on hiring older workers which reveals unintended incentives of the German law on this matter. Finally, firms with a higher share of educated personnel demand more older workers.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabian Busch & Robert Fenge & Carsten Ochsen, 2021. "Do Firms Hire More Older Workers? Evidence from Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 9219, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_9219
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ageing labour force; hiring of older workers; panel data models;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J23 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Labor Demand
    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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