France lags behind on employment of over-55s

France must do more to promote quality jobs for older workers, according to a report published on Thursday) by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

A labour exchange in the southern French city of Nice Reuters/Eric Gaillard

Just over 44 per cent of people over the age of 55 are in work in France, compared to a European average of 48 per cent and an OECD average of 54 per cent.

France lags way behind Sweden where 70 per cent of over-55 are in work.

In Germany and the US the percentage is about 60 per cent.

France is battling against record high unemployment.

Despite launching programmes like the contrat de générations, which encourages companies to employ the over-50s in return for tax incentives, there is still age discrimination in France, OECD economist Anne Sonnet, who is the author of the report, told RFI.