This summary article is based on the report, 'What’s age got to do with it? Towards a new advocacy on ageing and work', and examines the barriers keeping older workers out of jobs.

The report offers a framework for developing public policy on age and work, proposing principles against which the legitimacy of actions should be tested.

The Victorian government’s announcement of an early retirement scheme aimed at redeploying some workers (losing their jobs due to the Hazelwood power station closure) to another power generator in the Latrobe Valley has been welcomed in many quarters. The early retirement approach to large-scale job losses is not new.

Last week, Tony Abbott announced that if elected to government, the Coalition would offer a financial incentive to employers who recruit and retain older workers for a minimum of six months. On the surface, this seems like a good deal for mature age workers having difficulty finding jobs. But what does the evidence tell us?

Australia needs a comprehensive strategy for our ageing society.