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 high rate of unemployment among the youth while it is an unhealthy practice for employees who are already advanced in age.
Firstly, one of the leading challenges facing countries across the globe, especially underdeveloped countries, is a lack of jobs for young people. A practice that allows elderly individuals to keep their jobs for as long as they want would only make the situation worse. 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. Hence, a significant number of employable adults would be jobless with this form of practice.
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. Therefore, permitting people to continue to work beyond the age of retirement as long as they are happy to do so is detrimental to the well-being of the workers.
To conclude, that older workers should stay in their jobs provided it is feasible for them is not acceptable to me. More and more youths would remain unemployed and the health of the workforce will suffer.