Challenges for the Workforce Development of Older Workers in Brazil

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Introduction

This sociodemographic country profile provides important background information to anticipate future demand for services in this middle-income country. Of Brazil’s population of 204 million people, 13% (about 26 million) are aged 60 and above. Life expectancy is 78.5 years for women and 71.2 for men. Currently, 31.9% of the population is aged between 40 and 69. Of those aged 60 or above, 55% are women, 53.4% are white, and 83.9% live in urban areas. As with other Latin American countries, Brazil is experiencing a marked increase in the aging of its population, with the percentage of those aged 65 and above projected to increase from 6.1% in 2005 to 19.4% in 2050 ( Jackson, Strauss, & Howe, 2011 ). In fact, developing nations like Brazil will begin to converge with Japan, where by 2050 more than 40% of the population will be aged 60 or above ( Beard et al., 2011 ). In response, alongside reforms to its social security system, it is argued that older workers in Brazil should be encouraged to remain longer in the labor force and postpone retirement while being productive ( Gragnolati et al., 2011 ).