By 2050, the number of older persons in Asia and the Pacific is projected to double, with one in four people being aged 60 or older. The prevalence of ageing populations across the region, along with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, COVID-19 and environmental changes, will impact the labour force, necessitating investment in skills development, planning for employment shifts and ensuring age-friendly work environments.

To address these issues, ESCAP and the Korea Labor Force Development Institute for the Aged of the Republic of Korea were co-organizing a regional workshop on strengthening older persons’ labour force participation and harnessing the potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Asia and the Pacific. This workshop was part of a project funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea, with an overarching aim of increasing access to decent work and encouraging labour force participation for older persons.

The objectives of the workshop were to: foster knowledge and awareness of issues facing older persons, enhancing their labour force participation and increasing opportunities for them to find decent work; facilitate the exchange of knowledge and good practices related to issues affecting older persons among all relevant stakeholders; and contribute to the development of policies and measures that enable more effective responses to creating opportunities for an inclusive society.

In conclusion to an ESCAP project on older persons and the future of work, this video uses footage and narrative from project activities in order to show the importance of promoting the well-being of older persons and investing in their capacity to be productive members of society.