Read the text below which is entitled “The future of work” in
order to answer questions 21 to 24.
The future of work
Source: Newsweek
Jan 30th, 2006 (Adapted)
Many of the rich world’s notions about old age are dying.
While the streamlining effects of international competition
are focusing attention on the need to create and keep good
jobs, those fears will eventually give way to worries about
the growing shortage of young workers. One unavoidable
solution: putting older people back to work, whether they
like it or not. Indeed, cutting-edge European economies
like those of Finland and Denmark have already raised
their retirement ages, reversing the postwar trend toward
ever-earlier retirement. Others are under severe pressure
to follow suit, as both the European Commission and the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) have recently warned their members that their
future prosperity depends on a growing contribution from
the elderly.
This erosion of one of the cornerstones of the good
life – relaxed golden years – has not gone unremarked. In
the last year, Belgium, Italy and France have all been hit
with massive protests against pension reforms that would,
among other things, have raised the retirement age.