We are pleased to inform that we are conducting social research on behalf of the Voivodeship Labour Office in Opole (Wojewódzkiego Urzędu Pracy w Opolu) entitled „The diagnosis of socio-economical participation of people over 50 years old in the Voivodeship of Opole” [„Diagnoza uczestnictwa osób w wieku 50 lat i więcej, w życiu społeczno-gospodarczym województwa opolskiego”].

The research project is dedicated to socio-economical participation of people over 50 years old over the voivodeship. It consists of four sub studies:

The first sub study is being carried out among over 800 unemployed registered in the county labour offices in the voivodeship of Opole, the second – among 1000 people currently working in the voivodeship of Opole, the following – among over 500 business entities hiring people, and the last one – among 1000 people professionally inactive.

We ask mostly about the professional situation of unemployed at the age of 50+ before they got the status of an unemployed person, how are people of their age trying to find a new job, what are the biggest obstacles they face while taking a job, what is the professional situation of people at the age of 50+ currently working in the voivodeship of Opole, in what way does the socio-demographic situation of working people of their age colour their occupational orientation, what are the basic reasons being unemployed at the age of 50+ in their opinion, whether the employers are interested in hiring people of that age, in what way does the socio-demographic situation of people professionally inactive colour their social orientation and real activities taken in the social living.

After raising the retirement age, people over 50 years of age are important addressees of social politics. It is reflected in such documents as: „The Assumptions of Long-term Senior Politics in Poland 2014-2020” [„Założenia Długofalowej Polityki Senioralnej w Polsce na lata 2014–2020”], or „Solidarity Between Generations – operations for increasing the professional activity of people at the age of 50+” ["Program Solidarność pokoleń - działania dla zwiększenia aktywności zawodowej osób w wieku 50+”].

As far as the activism policy is concerned, what should be examined are the opportunities and needs of working people and unemployed ones at the age of 50+, as well as the employers currently hiring these workers, or who are willing to hire employees at the age of 50 and over in the future. This can be done by our research project. Currently, we have been interviewing the particular groups of respondents and will be able to provide the results in June.