It is sometimes argued that, for as long as it is convenient for them, older workers should maintain their jobs. As juicy as this may sound, however, I am not in agreement with the idea because it could worsen the already devastating levels of unemployment among the youth while also having negative health implications on these people.
Firstly, one of the leading challenges facing countries across the globe, especially underdeveloped countries, is a lack of jobs for young people. A liberal practice that allows elderly individuals to keep their jobs for as long as they want would not only prolong active service for this category of people unnecessarily but will also keep those fit for jobs jobless almost indefinitely. Japan, Germany, and Singapore are three of the countries with policies that support longevity on the job with a larger percentage of their workforce aged 65 years and above. Incidentally, they are also the countries with the highest number of unemployed young individuals across the globe. It is therefore clear that many of the younger population would be redundant if older employees were allowed to keep working as long as it is comfortable for them.
Another reason for opposing the practice is that with an aging workforce, there tends to be more health issues. This could range from age-related physical and mental decline to hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and other disease conditions that are not only counterproductive to the growth of the economy but can also hasten the death of the workers. According to global data, Japan and Korea, the two countries where those aged 65 and over make up the biggest share of the labor force are also the ones with the highest rate of absenteeism from work due to medical problems. Hence, permitting people to continue to work beyond the age of retirement as long as they are happy to do so is detrimental to health.
To conclude, that older workers should continue on their jobs provided it is feasible for them is not acceptable to me. The practice would escalate the level of unemployment among the youth and not healthy for the elderly workers.