Preview

Aging Population in Singapore

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
873 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Aging Population in Singapore
Grey power refers to the demographic transit in power from the young to the old. This huge demographic group was called the Baby Boomers and they are now leaving their middle age and heading into a period of retirement. As this trend continues to persist, Singapore will face a major challenge in overcoming the problems posed by an aging population. An aging population is expected to have a negative impact on Singapore’s economy, community as well as the labor force. If the labor force continues to decline relative to the overall population, this will hinder economic development. Therefore, the Singapore government has introduced various schemes to enhance employability of the older citizens, improving the environment to enhance mobility and to promote Research and Development (R&D) that is beneficial to these elderly.

Firstly, to enhance the employability of the elderly, Singapore’s government has allotted $451 million to assist the older low-wage workers in upgrading their skills so as to stay valued in their workplace (Ministry of Finance, 2010). Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has worked with the private sector to encourage the re-employment of the elderly as well as educating citizens on the benefits of having senior workers around in the workforce. According to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the retirement age of Singapore citizens will be raised from 62 to 65 by 2012 and eventually to 67. This is to account for the higher life expectancy and to ensure the elderly have enough savings for the future. MOM has pointed out ten reasons to work with older workers and that include they are more flexible in their working schedules, serve as mentors for new generation workers, they behold the invaluable experiences, stronger work ethic, more reliable, adding diversity of thought, loyalty to organization, taking work more seriously, having a well-established network in hand and lastly higher retention rates.

Secondly, Singapore government has come out with various



References: The Straits Times. (2008, Jan 15) Good progress made in preparing for ageing population. ASIAONE. Retrieved from http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20080115-45091.html Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (2010, Aug 8) Speech on National Day. Retrieved from http://business.inquirer.net/money/breakingnews/view/20070819-83520/Singapore_to_raise_retirement_age_to_65_by_2012 Sharon See. (2010, Aug 10) Mobile phone targetted at elderly comes with location-based tracking. Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/ new.com.au. (2010, Aug 22) Robot suits to aid elderly Japanese farmers with toiling in the fields. Retrieved from http://www.news.com.au/technology/robot-suits-to-aid-elderly-japanese-farmers-with-toiling-in-the-fields/story-e6frfro0-1225908583856 Singapore National Research Foundation. Singapore in 2020. Retrieved from https://rita.nrf.gov.sg/AboutUs/NRF_Initiatives/CRP3/Guidelines%20and%20Templates/Singapore%20in%202020%20%20(Ageing).pdf

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Baby Boomers,

    • 1815 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The senior age groups are growing at a rate that no other group ever did. After 2010 the growth of this…

    • 1815 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    The economy’s long-term shift toward knowledge-based jobs and away from physical labor is a force that might be increasing the rolls of older workers. Already, older employees with higher level of education seem to be playing a major role in the trend (Peterson). The problem is that companies are going to need to hire somebody young who has the same brain of a 64-year-old but is able to perform tasks more efficiently like a 24-year-old. “Health problems and workplace pressures such as cutbacks force many workers into retirement earlier than they expect. And employers that have a choice often prefer the young, viewing older workers as costly and resistant to new technologies” (Peterson). Soon, employers will not have a choice whether they want to hire an old, sophisticated employee or a young, energetic employee. “By 2003, 82% of baby boomers were in the labor force. In the last four years, that baby boomer retirement figure has jumped from 10% to 17%, while their labor force participation rate has just hit a 36-year low in 2014” (“Baby Boomers and Retirement”). A company must conclude whether it is worth their money and time to hire a retiree. The problem is that the retiree community in this country has little savings, so they feel the pressure to continue working. Consequently, this also means a fair amount of baby boomers will need to depend on others, such as the government or family to support them once they finish…

    • 1202 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Aging, the process of growing old, begins the moment that a person is born; it is inevitable. All cultures deal with the ageing process. However, with the older population growing more rapidly, societies have to deal with it in larger number than before. ‘Baby boomers’ have a significant impact on society in when it comes to the economy, social structure and healthcare system. As the baby boomers represent 20% of the American population, it is clear that as they age, current societies are going to need to reconstruct in order to be accommodate the aging population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the world population is rapidly ageing and it is expected that the number of people aged 60 years or older should increase from 605 million to 2 billion by 2050. While North American societies tend to view aging in a negative light and dread the prospect of aging, other societies on the other hand, embrace their aging population. Understanding the difference between the treatment of the elderly in East Asia and North America is important as it allows for the public to…

    • 1525 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Weisman, Jonathan, Aging population poses global challenges, Washington Post, (February 2005) , http://www.washingtonpost.com/as2. Retrieved June 28, 2010.…

    • 2105 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    The salient fact reveals that people are aging at a faster rate with noticable noticable results and elderly poulation growth shows a distinguish comparison to the younger population. Findings and research efforts of analysts reveals several reasons for this cause, including people having fewer children, less available care for the elderly and people are living longer. This matter is one that I consider crutial and it should be consider by all interested parties globally. Including the more developed as well as developing countries, where growth in the elderly will present more challenges of population aging in the near future and immediate forecoming decades.…

    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Ageism in the Workplace

    • 3527 Words
    • 15 Pages

    This paper examines the issue of ageism in the workplace, including how ageism is defined, issues associated with it, and ways to overcome this form of discrimination. Ageism is usually thought to affect older adults, but research shows that ageism can affect adults of all ages. For the purposes of this paper, I will focus on two particular groups; Baby-Boomers and Generation X. There are numerous issues associated with ageism such as health and how it affects job performance, whether physical or mental; costs to both the employer and employee including psychological costs as well as financial; adapting to the ever-changing technology industry; educating the work force and giving them opportunities to remain viable employees; identifying risks associated with ageism and the long term effects that may occur. Finally I will look at ways to combat ageism including education, both internal and external, as well as mentoring opportunities by both management and peers.…

    • 3527 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The aim of this task is to demonstrate an understanding of current issues affecting the workplace. In this report I will be focusing on the over 50 age group. Specifically I will be looking at whether or not age impacts on working people and if it has improved or worsened.…

    • 979 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ageism In Workplace

    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages

    According to Brownell (2014), older workers are vital to workplace productivity and culture. Aging is a developmental stage in which the aging live active, productive lives well into old age. Negative societal and…

    • 438 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Elderly Population

    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages

    As life expectancy continues to increase and people are living longer, the more challenges the United States has to face. The aging population is effecting the country finically and socially by the burden on the elder’s children and by government funded programs. If the aging population continues to consume more than they contribute, the working class population will not have any resources when it is time for them to retire. The process now is to make the resources expands and to ensure that the government funded programs are available in the near…

    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Recognize the unique qualities and characteristics of Boomers as they like to feel unique and different from their co-workers because of their seniority. Organisations should provide them with resources and involve them in the decision making. They feel important when you include them in the decision-making process.Public appreciation should be made of their strong work ethic, willingness to work long hours, and desire to prove themselves. Continual feedback is important as they are facing the challenge of working in a changing workforce. Freedom from traditional management practices. Give them the elbow room to be creative in the way in which they accomplish tasks and goals. Generation X seek more creativity, freedom and learning opportunities at workplace. They are more concerned with the personal advancement. Allow them the opportunity to make choices to use their resources and creativity .Make them feel empowered by engaging multiple projects which will also enhance their skills. Give them autonomy to take their decisions. Generation Y focuses more on empowerment and risk taking. They want to be guided .Coach them directly and know they will get the point quickly. Organisations should use technology as a medium to…

    • 1145 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    As the Baby Boomers draw close to retirement age new challenges will arise in the work place. Who will take their place? Is the next generation of workers ready for the challenge? Do they have the same ideals and principles of the outgoing workers? Management is tasked with making this transition as smooth as possible while dealing with an ever growing diverse work force. Technology will play a key role in the sweeping changes facing a workplace as well as older workers trying to learn new ways to do the same tasks they have done a certain way for an extended period of time. How management meets these challenges will determine the long term success of the company.…

    • 1719 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Post World War II, women in Southeast Asia were having an average of more than five children each, and there was a widespread of a “population explosion” in the region. Similar to other parts of the world, the baby boom trend also existed in this region as Southeast Asia countries are also slowly recovering from the results of the war and momentum is gaining for independence and economic development. Today, however, birth rates are reversed, especially in developed countries in Asia such as Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, which are among the lowest birth rates in the world. The trend is also beginning to be seen in developing countries in Southeast Asia such as Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, especially in the urban, city areas. Besides a lower birth rate, devloping nations in Southeast Asia are also experiencing a shrinking workforce as a result of an aging population.…

    • 1921 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Demographic and Lifestyle Developments Ageing population – The population of elderly residents aged 65 years and above increased 1.5% from 2000, building up to 8.7% of total population in 2008 (Singapore Department of Statistics, 2010a). During the same period, a contrasting decline in the population of residents aged below 15 years was recorded, developing into a higher old-age support ratio and a fast ageing nation. The growing phenomenon is due to a lower reproduction rate and increased life expectancy which are characteristics of a developed nation. People also tend to marry later and a lower reproduction rate from adopting a single child mentality in order to have a more enjoyable lifestyle and ability to provide more for the single child.…

    • 3384 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Econ 2

    • 2404 Words
    • 8 Pages

    ECONOMY, H. &. E., 2014. Rapid aging in Singapore could halt economic growth by 2030: Moody’s. [Online]…

    • 2404 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To address this, it would be desirable that government devise some programmes for the old to go back to join the work force again. For instance, old people are suited to perform social work in their local communities or they may like to be taxi drivers,etc. Working place is the channel for the eldly to keep in touch with the society.…

    • 280 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays

Related Topics