Older employees: more concerned, but also most enthusiastic about their job

This is a joint press release of TNO and Statistics Netherlands

More and more employees in the Netherlands are worried about losing their job. These concerns are greatest among 50-59 year-old employees. At the same time, employees in this age group are more often enthusiastic about their job than younger workers. These are among the initial results of the Netherlands Working Conditions Survey 2012, held by TNO and Statistics Netherlands.
At the end of 2012, 32 percent of employees were worried that they might lose their job. This is twice as many as in 2007, when 16 percent had such concerns. In the intervening years, the percentage of workers who are concerned about losing their jobrose nearly every year. In 2012, it was 6 percent points higher than in the year before.

50-59 year-olds most often concerned

The older employees are, the more often they are concerned about their job. This holds for men as well as women. Workers aged between 50 and 60 years are the most often concerned. At the end of 2012, nearly 40 percent of employees in this age group were worried. Among over-60s, a  much smaller share is concerned; 23 percent of employees in this age group were worried about losing their job. With 17 percent, employees younger than 20 are the least often worried about losing their job.

Over-50s most enthusiastic about their work

Older employees are relatively more often enthusiastic about their job than younger workers. At the end of 2012, nearly three-quarters of over-50s were enthusiastic. For employees across all age groups this percentage is 67 versus only 55 percent among under-20s. Many workers in this age group are still in education and have a job on the side. The difference in enthusiasm about the job between young and older employees is found for both men and women.

More information:
TNO: Press Office, tel. +31 88 8660 888,e-mail: pressinfo@tno.nl;
CBS: Press Office, tel. +31 70 337 4444, e-mail: persdienst@cbs.nl.