Achieving the notorious 80 percent employment rate, keeping pensions affordable, staying competitive in an economy where flexibility and speed are buzzwords: these are all reasons to create a more flexible labour market, extend careers, and counter long-term unemployment. The why seems clear—at least to policymakers. Yet when we talk about the “socio-economic reforms of the century,” we urgently need a story that mobilises.
That story must go beyond numbers and euros; it must focus on people. What do all these agreed measures actually mean in practice, and how will everyone be brought along? Policymakers risk shooting themselves in the foot if they ignore the employee’s career perspective.
Today we count more than 500,000 people on long-term sick leave. Justifying pension bonuses and penalties with dry statistics will not inspire everyone if the targets are physically or mentally unattainable. Without attention to career perspectives, we risk increasing that group. Physical and mental health are critical indicators of whether people want and are able to stay at work.
A 42- or even 45-year career sounds logical when tied to longer life expectancy. But that macro-reasoning falls apart when, as an individual, you see no way of sustaining it because pressure is too high or change is happening too fast. Our jobs are evolving at lightning speed: for many employees the issue is not whether they want to work longer, but whether their current job will still exist. Just think how much can change in barely half a decade. This calls for clarity on how policymakers will make it feasible.
It is naïve to assume that people will keep going for decades without guidance, retraining, or adapted work. That is where the shoe pinches. The summer agreement redraws the socio-economic map, but is not a socio-economic project. We need an inspiring narrative about sustainable careers—a vision that discusses not only productivity, flexibility, working longer, or savings, but also how people can stay healthy, employable, and motivated. How we can organize work in ways that give people room to grow, recover, and adapt in a changing world.
“Work must pay” is a phrase lavishly used to defend the summer agreement. Of course financial fairness matters, but above all work must be worthwhile. After all, we spend most of our lives doing it. From young to old, working must stay worthwhile, whether you are just entering the labor market or you already have thirty years of experience and face a very different reality from the one you started in.
The summer agreement is a first step, but only half of one. Flexibility without a future-proof vision risks becoming a boomerang over time. If we truly want a resilient labor market, we must now dare to opt for a policy that focuses on purpose, health, and growth throughout the entire career.
