Albertans delaying retirement, working more hours due to labour shortage
Posted Jul 31, 2014 10:21 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As Alberta struggles with a tight labour market, more employers are encouraging people to work longer hours and delay their retirement.
A new study by the Fraser Institute finds nearly one third of Albertans work more than 50 hours a week.
And researcher Phillip Cross tells 660News they’re working later into their lives.
“The percentage of people over 65 who are still in the labour force in Alberta is close to one-third of all workers,” explains Cross. “And amongst those over 70 years, one in 10 in Alberta and Saskatchewan are still in the labour force.”
But Cross says delaying retirement is only a temporary solution to Alberta’s labour shortage.
He says more young workers from Eastern Canada need to move out west. He points out 16 per cent of young people in Ontario are unemployed, and with that province’s current government, it’s unlikely its economy will pick up anytime soon.
