OAPs’ activity in the labour market in the context of survey research

A great deal of attention has been paid in recent years not merely to young people’s activity in the labour market, but also to the vocational involvement of elderly people. The traditional attitude towards the contemporary labour market results from the social and economic transformation, but also demographic changes and, the process of population ageing. It is thus a vital issue. A growing number of elderly people contributes to the increase in the number of beneficiaries, which is reflected in lower labour force participation and, consequently, may lead to a deterioration of production capacity of economy. On the one hand, higher pensions may be viewed as higher incomes of pensioners, but on the other hand, they constitute an extra burden for public expenses. Conversely, lower pensions may not merely result in increased activity in the labour market and higher incomes, but also be linked with an increase in social welfare expenditure. The article discusses the results of survey research conducted between 2009 and 2010 in a group of pensioners. The research shows that over a half of the surveyed OAPs were active in the labour market and their activity was mainly induced by their financial situation.