Lowering the Retirement Age in Poland. Implications for Women in the Area of Employment

Abstract

The subject of the publication is the analysis of the situation of women in the labour market in terms of lowering the retirement age. The reinstatement of quite a low retirement age threshold which makes women eligible for retirement indicates a change in their position in the area of employment.
Manipulating the retirement age is a basic instrument of influence on pension schemes and the formation of human resources for labour markets in European countries, the latter affected by the ageing of the population. A dominant trend is to raise the age limit in order to increase manpower resources and to cut back public expenditure on benefits.
Without a doubt, the lowering of the retirement age in Poland will have a number of socioeconomic consequences, which will include an outflow of women from the labour market, and a depletion of manpower resources, which in turn may result in lessened migratory pressure. However, the thesis can be advanced that the amount of benefits received, due to a shorter input period, will arouse a greater interest in the option of combining benefit receipt with gainful employment. The solutions adopted in this respect will not only impact the situation of women, but other social groups as well, which will be clearly visible in the response from the labour market.