Long before the turn of the 2000s, a large number of organizations, economists and specialists were warning people about the demographic challenge that awaited Quebec. There were concerns about the aging of the population, the foreseeable decrease in the number of workers and the increase in health costs for seniors.
Despite the warnings, these concerns seemed very distant, even futuristic, so much did they send us back to the future.
But here we are.
Since 2014, Quebec’s labor force has been shrinking every day instead of increasing, with fewer workers available for employment. The unemployment rate is at a dangerous low at 4.5%, the lowest rate in 50 years, amplifying a workforce crisis that is only just beginning, with nearly 280,000 vacant positions.
Meanwhile, the population is aging. The number of people over 75 in Quebec is increasing and will have doubled by 2040, that of those 85 and over is expected to triple over the same period. The pressure on the costs of the health network, already enormous, will continue to increase until it exceeds the limits of our economic growth within 20 years.
In a study published this week, the Quebec Employers Council (CPQ) looks at this phenomenon and once again sounds the alarm bells. So we made 29 recommendations on how to avoid the worst and take advantage of the situation.
This summer, we had already published 10 recommendations to correct the situation regarding the worker shortage. These means set out to increase the labor pool would make it possible to avoid a potential economic disaster, particularly in the regions.
Now, we must focus on the issues of aging themselves. The face of Quebec is changing and the ground must be prepared for this major demographic shift.
Basically, our questioning is simple: are we taking sufficient care of our current and future seniors? Are we making every effort to keep them active and aging healthy? And above all, do we have the means to achieve our ambitions?
From the outset, in Quebec, the company is doing too little to encourage its experienced workers to stay or return to work if they so choose. The participation rate of 60-64 year olds is only 52% compared to 57% in Ontario and 58% in the rest of Canada, or even 71% in Japan and 74% in Sweden.
Yet one in four seniors believe that maintaining a job relationship is a priority in order to stay active and age healthy. So it’s not for lack of interest. Their lives must be made easier: for example by improving the tax credit for career extension, by allowing QPP contributions to be stopped after 65 years of age, or by offering a reduction in employee contributions for the employers of these workers.
The same proportion of seniors believe that giving or receiving training should be a priority for seniors. As we know, it is never too late to learn, especially since it breaks the isolation and draws on everyone’s knowledge. It is as logical as it needs to be.
As for services and care, we must in particular promote home support, regardless of the home, and optimize the contribution of each of the players and partners to adequately meet the multiple needs of seniors in an efficient manner. It is necessary to document the obstacles which restrict the availability of human resources in health in order to remove them and introduce more flexibility in the organization of work.
With regard to funding, among other things, the formula for the Canada health transfer must be changed so that its calculation takes into account not the total population of a province, but the population by age group.
In short, our recommendations affect the public authorities, the business community as well as the population in general. Everyone must understand that this is an urgent issue and that our responsibility is collective.
Although we are late, it is not too late, provided that everyone plays their part.