Area Development
Future economic development and competitiveness in Finland could be hindered by an aging population, according to a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The nation is the third-fastest aging in the world, after Japan and Italy, according to United Nations statistics. Its labor force is expected to begin declining within two years, with more than 20 percent of the population over the age of 65 by 2015. The OECD report proposes that Finland's government should encourage retired people to work part-time and weaken its unemployment benefits and retirement pension system to encourage citizens to remain in the work force longer. In addition, the report suggests that the government increase resources for educating and training migrant workers to make it easier for them to settle in Finland.