Government workforces are ageing even more rapidly than the rest of society. This raises specific challenges and opportunities. An ageing public service increases fiscal burdens while decreasing immediate capacities to deliver services. In the long run, however, it also offers a strategic opportunity to downsize the public sector workforce if necessary and to change employment conditions and the management of government employees where this is deemed reasonable. This book reviews the experience of 9 OECD member countries in this field. It presents some conclusions on strategies that countries could implement in order to adjust their human resource policies to the wider ageing challenge.
Executive Summary
Part I. Synthesis Report
Chapter 1. The Ageing Challenge
-1. Ageing Public Sector Workforces in the Context of Ageing Populations
-2. Challenges and Opportunities of Ageing for the Management of Public Services
Chapter 2. Country Actions
-1. How Are Countries Addressing Cost Containment and the Need for Productivity Increases in the Public Serviceoe
-2. How Are Countries Addressing the Need to Maintain Capacityoe
-3. How Are Countries Addressing the Need to Reallocate Resources According to New Prioritiesoe
-4. How Are Countries Managing their Public Services so that Departures Do Not Lead to Hiring that Tightens the Wider Labour Marketoe
Chapter 3. Review of Country Strategies
-1. Policy Tools
-2. Country-Specific Enabling Conditions and Constraints
-3. Do Countries Have Holistic Proactive Ageing Strategiesoe
Chapter 4. Towards Sustainable Ageing Strategies for Government
-Bibliography
-Annex: Country Fact Sheets
Part II. Case Studies
Chapter 5. Ageing and the Public Service in Australia
Chapter 6. Ageing and the Public Service in Denmark
Chapter 7. Ageing and the Public Service in Finland
Chapter 8. Ageing and the Public Service in France
Chapter 9. Ageing and the Public Service in Germany
Chapter 10. Ageing and the Public Service in Ireland
Chapter 11. Ageing and the Public Service in Italy
Chapter 12. Ageing and the Public Service in the Netherlands
Chapter 13. Ageing and the Public Service in Portugal