I am sure that tables of life exspectancy exist for all occupations. As already stated, life labouring on a building site in your 60's is hard, as no doubt are many other physical jobs. We do not expect to see old firemen, policemen, or soldiers. This expectation should become a reality for all hard physical trades. For white collar workers, stressful jobs should likewise qualify for early retirement. For the rest it is entirely reasonable to work for longer as a result of increasing life exspectancy. However this idealistic approach is totally invalidated by the extremely high levels of unemployment amongst young people. There is a strong argument that workers in the twilight years of their employment should make way to give younger people a chance. To put my arguments in perspective I would add that I am still working past retirement age, but am in a field where much of my time is spent mentoring young graduates.
|