The job market is not just for the young. Even though the world population is aging, the improvement in society’s quality of life means we have increasingly active seniors engaged in their personal routines and even professional ones. The inclusion of these talents in the corporate environment drives what we call the silver economy—something that, although it has been growing worldwide, still deserves greater attention so this group can be properly integrated and welcomed in companies.
According to an estimate by IBGE, the number of elderly people is expected to surpass that of young people by 2031. For the first time in our history, the Aging Index (AI) will exceed 100, meaning there will be 102.3 elderly people for every 100 young people. This is a direct reflection of the population’s active longevity through healthier habits, greater physical health care, and advances in medicine, which also positively impacts better mental health, fewer expenses on medication, and a more energetic life overall.
Beyond these social and health benefits, increased life expectancy has also led more people to seek to remain professionally active—something that is highly advantageous for companies. After all, these talents have an abundance of accumulated experience and maturity gained throughout their careers, with greater emotional intelligence in handling daily matters, better understanding of professional relationships, and maintaining them long-term.
Parallel to this, when a professional has lived through diverse economic scenarios—from boom periods, recessions, inflation, deflation, to governments of differing positions—all this helps them develop a better situational analysis, drawing on past experiences to assess what works and what doesn’t.
These are attributes no university or master’s degree can teach but are built through professional experience. And they are often lacking in many young talents entering the market, who lack years of experience, maturity, life experience, and the necessary behaviors for a more structured view of corporate matters.
Still, according to IBGE data, by 2050, Brazil will have a population of over 40 million people aged 60 or older. Instead of pushing them away from the market, making them feel useless, integrating them into companies—leveraging their experience to adopt more assertive strategies—will bring achievements not only financially but also socially, ensuring they feel useful and remain active in areas they enjoy.
However, in adapting to corporate routines, some care must be taken. In many cases, the arrival of these talents won’t have natural synergy and will require special attention from companies and other team members, as obstacles may arise—sometimes even from the senior professionals themselves.
Many still hold a strong belief that their advanced age won’t bring positive achievements for companies, fearing they won’t be able to contribute to operations or meet set goals. These concerns may lead them to arrive apprehensive about their performance—something that can be avoided not only through self-awareness and self-worth but also through internal initiatives promoting their arrival, encouraging them, and recognizing their workplace achievements.
For younger professionals, a lack of sensitivity is a considerable risk, requiring companies to take actions that demonstrate the importance of these seniors to business performance and how both groups can work and learn together. Ultimately, empathy, effort, and respect from both sides will be needed for this movement to bear mature fruit for everyone involved.
A diverse professional environment isn’t just one that values gender inclusion but also one that combats ageism internally. Those who learn to work with minds that think differently and have distinct perspectives—but are cared for and valued by all—will undoubtedly elevate the achievement of expected results.
