Population ageing, labour market and public finance in Poland

Poland risks getting old before getting rich. The share of working age population is going down, while that of older population is increasing rapidly. There are more and more older workers among the working age population. This volume shows that these trends are likely to have a negative impact on employment, and consequently on national income and social welfare. It argues that pro-active and radical policy measures need to be taken to mitigate the adverse effects of population ageing. Priority should be given to encouraging higher fertility, including through the development of child care services, promoting investment in skills and lifelong learning, developing a smart immigration policy that addresses the needs of the labour market, and gearing the health care system towards the needs of older people, including through the development of a long-term care system. Yet most importantly, this policy should aim to prolong working lives, in line with the growing life expectancy. People need to work longer, otherwise their retirement income will be low, as will be the income of the population at large.