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Australia:
Elderly Soon to Outstrip Children June
6, 2003 Australia - TASMANIA
will have more elderly people than children within a decade, says a
population expert. She told the annual
conference of the Local Government Association of Tasmania in Hobart
yesterday this would be because the numbers involved were too large,
competition for skilled migrants would become extreme, both globally and
between states and territories, and migrants would increase the ageing of
the population in the short and long term. However, Dr Jackson
said Tasmania's economy would not die, because the growth in the numbers
of elderly would produce many new opportunities, including local jobs for
young people providing goods and services. The elderly would
be healthier, wealthier and have more consumer demands. Young people would
benefit enormously from the trends, with fewer people entering the
workforce than leaving it. This would result
in strong competition between employers to employ young people who would
be better paid. Dr Jackson's
comments were made on the same day as new Australian Bureau of Statistics
figures showed Tasmania's population last year grew by 2300 to 474,400 - a
0.5 per cent rise compared with the previous year. Tasmania recorded a
net interstate migration loss of 300 for the year but for the last three
months of last year Tasmania recorded a net gain of 400. The ABS said the
December quarter result was the first time since the September quarter in
1991 that Tasmania recorded positive net interstate migration. Tasmanian Treasurer
David Crean said: "The return to population growth in Tasmania and,
in particular, the positive migration result to the state, are in line
with record building and construction activity, record demand for
Tasmania's goods and services and record job numbers." He said while the
figures were very positive, the Government recognised, as for other states
and territories, Tasmania had an ageing population which had implications
for the future. Dr Jackson said
Tasmania had a huge number of baby boomers moving through to retirement
and old age. "They didn't replace themselves - their birth rates were lower than needed to replace themselves and their children haven't replaced themselves," she said. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |
