Disability in a High-Work Society Case of Iceland Stefán Ólafsson University of Iceland Plenum talk II, at the Conference The Capacity to Avoid Incapacity, Hotel Nordica, Reykjavík 9th November
Dec 30, 2015
Disability in a High-Work SocietyCase of Iceland
Stefán ÓlafssonUniversity of Iceland
Plenum talk II, at the Conference
The Capacity to Avoid Incapacity,Hotel Nordica, Reykjavík 9th November
Contents
• Growing numbers of disability pensioners• Comparing extent of disability pensioners• Employment participation of the disabled• New survey amongst disability pensioners - Characteristics - Work in the life of disability pensioners - Attitides to work and rehabilitation• Summary• Conclusions: Policy guidelines
Number of invalidity pensioners (All)Total, Men and Women
0
2.000
4.000
6.000
8.000
10.000
12.000
14.000
16.000
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Num
ber
of 7
5% in
valid
ity p
ensi
oner
s
Invalidity pensioners Men Women
1,5% 2,3%
2,4%
2,7% 3,4% 4,6% 5,6% 7,
1% 8,2%
12,4
% 17,6
%
4,9%
1,1% 2,0% 3,
5% 5,0% 6,
2% 8,6% 9,9% 11
,9%
14,5
%
20,6
%
29,3
%
8,3%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
16 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 29 30 - 34 35 - 39 40 - 44 45 - 49 50 - 54 55 - 59 60 - 64 65 - 66 Total16-66
% o
f pop
ulat
ion
16-6
6 ol
d
Men Women
Proportion of invalidity pensioners (All)Age groups (16-66), Males and Females, in 2008
Total: From 4% in 1990 to 7,4% of population 2008Women=63%; Men =37%
Size of Disability Pensioners Group as a % of Population aged 20-64. OECD-Countries in 2007-8.
Source: OECD 2009 and TR
Employment Patterns of OECD Countries 2007
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
TU
RM
EX
ITA
GR
CH
UN
PO
LS
VK
LU
XB
EL
ES
PK
OR
CZ
EF
RA
IRL
OE
CD
DE
UJP
NA
UT
PR
TA
US
GB
RU
SA
NLD
FIN
NZ
LC
AN
SW
ID
NK
SW
EN
OR
ISL
Low -skilled Prime-aged men (25-54 years) Seniors (55-64 years) Women
IcelandHighest
Labour market exits in Nordic Countries% Receiving Any Pension, by age (16-66): Males and Females
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
16-39 40-49 50-54 55-59 60-62 63-64 65-66 Average
% o
f ag
e gr
oup
rece
ivin
g pe
nsio
n
Denmark Færeo Islands Finland Iceland Norway Sweden
Employment Participation of All People with Disabilities Year 2005 (% in some employment)
Source: OECD 2009
Disability and Work
• Disability and Rehabilitation Pensioners total= 8,4% of ages 20-64• 61% of All People with Disability are in some employment• 29% of Disability Pension Receivers were in some employment during last 6 months; 21% are in employment now.
• What does this mean?
• Great sucess in getting people with disabilities into work, in general• Those employed who get sick or have accidents return back to work to a great extent, compared to other nations • People at working ages have very high employment participation• There are generally relatively few unemployed in Iceland and few on sickness benefit, but relatively many on disability benefit• The biggest challenge should be to activate and rehabilitate the long-term unemployed and those already on disability pension.• The present crisis increases this policy relevance
• New Survey on Social Conditions, Participation and Attitudes of Disability Pensioners in Iceland, done in 2009 by Guðrún Hannesdóttir, Sigurður Thorlacius and Stefán Ólafsson
• This survey supports the analysis above
• The following are some results from this new survey
Disability and Work: New Survey
% of sample % of replies
Mental and behavioral disorder 26.72 27.98
Musculo-skeletal diseases 32.67 34.21
Nervous system and sense organs 8.86 9.28
Injuries and neoplasms 6.75 7.06
Mental retardation and congenital 5.43 4.29
Circulatory system, heart etc. 6.88 7.20
Other (tumors etc.) 8.20 2.49
Sum 95.50 100%
Missing 4.50
Total 100%
N 756
Main Causes of Disability – TR Analysis
Disability and Work: New Survey
Respondents: Sample of All Disability pension receivers
Disability and Work: New Survey
Respondents: Sample of All Disability pension receivers
Disability and Work: New Survey
Respondents: Sample of All Disability pension receivers, not in work now
Disability and Work: New Survey
Respondents: Those not interested in work now (about 35% of pensioners)
Disability and Work: New Survey
Disability and Work: New Survey
Respondents: Those interested in work now (about 65% of pensioners)
Disability and Work: New Survey
Respondents: Sample of All Disability pension receivers
Disability and Work: New Survey
Disability and Work: New Survey
Respondents: Sample of All Disability pension receivers
Profile of Disability and Work:• High work participation of people at working age(16-65)• High work participation of people with disabilities• Low work participation of people on disability pension• Positive attitude to work amongst the disabled• Most prefer part-time work (due to health limitations)• Positive attitude to rehabilitation amongst the disabled• Relatively many are on disability pension, but few on
sickness benefit and unemployment benefit (long-term)• Too big role for Disability Prension Scheme: Not good• Inadequate vocational rehabilitation
Summary
• Decrease work related risk –monitor sickness absence from early on
• Strengthening the disability tests>Workability tests– Get more people on to rehabilitation benefit;fewer on disability
• Facilitate employment participation– Incentives to employers and the disabled; Support system;
Increased Rehabilitation; Enlightenment in society and labour market
• Make institutions more efficient / Modernize• One-stop-shop approach / One system for all • Focus primarily on long-term unemployed and the
already disabled; deal early with the newly sick.
Conclusions: Good Policy Emphasis
Takk fyrir!
Retirement Pattern of Icelanders% Receiving Any Pension, by age (60-74): Males and Females
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%110%120%
60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74
Males Females
Retirement Pattern of Nordics % Receiving Any Pension, by age (60-74): Males
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%110%
60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74
Denmark Færoe Islands Finland
Iceland Norway Sweden
Retirement Pattern of Nordics% Receiving Any Pension, by age (60-74): Females
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%110%
60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74
Danmark Færøerne Finland
Island Norge Sverige
Contents
Contents