Senior Workers in France and Spain Face Employment Gaps and Legal Disputes

A French government report warns that after age 60 many workers fall out of employment, with more than one in four people aged 61 neither employed nor retired. The drop is especially pronounced among manual and low‑skill jobs, where nearly 40 % exit the labour market early, and the report highlights a lack of training opportunities for seniors.

In Spain, a 62‑year‑old university technician declared permanently unable to work expected a €53,700 severance payment under a 2015 collective agreement. A first‑instance court awarded the sum, but an appellate court reversed the decision, ruling that the payment constitutes salary and cannot be granted without explicit legislation, noting the agreement had been replaced in 2022.