Clare has been selected as one of five locations for a new study examining older workers in Ireland.
The study, which is being conducted by researchers at UCD, will explore the experiences, opportunities and challenges faced by workers aged 55 years and above who are living or working in the Clare and mid-west region.
The study is funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Low Pay Commission. Its results will be used to inform future public policy in this area.
Speaking on the project, its lead researcher Dr Micheál Collins of UCD said: “Older workers are now a growing part of the workforce in Clare and throughout Ireland, and they are a group that will get larger as the population ages over the next few decades. However, we don’t know enough about this group, something this study intends to address”.
The study is focused on two employment sectors that are large in Clare and employ a significant number of older workers: the retail sector and the hospitality sector (pubs, restaurants, hotels etc):
“Workers in retail and hospitality have been particularly exposed to the challenges of the current Covid-19 pandemic and we will also collect information on these recent experiences”
As part of the study, the UCD research team are looking to speak to workers in Clare who:
– are at least 55 years old;
– currently or recently worked in the retail or hospitality sector (pubs, restaurants, hotels etc);
– are/were employed more than 30 hours a week; and
– earn/earned less than €12.50 per hour.
Those interested in taking part in the research, and completing a confidential interview (in the form of a chat by telephone or online by skype or zoom) can contact the research team by phone (call or text) on 089 270 8764 or by email at olderworkersucd@gmail.com