The determinants of hiring older workers : evidence from Hong Kong

Document Type

Journal article

Source Publication

Industrial and Labor Relations Review

Publication Date

4-1-1999

Volume

52

Issue

3

First Page

444

Last Page

459

Publisher

Sage Publications, Inc.

Abstract

A 1996 survey of Hong Kong establishments designed to identify hiring and employment patterns by workers' age shows that, as in the United States, many firms employed older workers but did not hire older workers. This pattern appears to reflect mainly economic forces, rather than public policy, given that no laws prohibited age discrimination or required uniform fringe benefit provision in Hong Kong. The empirical evidence from the survey is consistent with two broad hypotheses. First, workers and firms are more willing to invest in training when workers are young. Second, delayed compensation more effectively deters shirking among young workers than among older workers and is more readily accepted by young workers.

DOI

10.1177/001979399905200305

Print ISSN

00197939

E-ISSN

2162271X

Publisher Statement

Copyright © 1999 by Cornell University

Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.

Full-text Version

Publisher’s Version

Language

English

Recommended Citation

Heywood, J. S., Ho, L. S., & Wei X. (1999). The determinants of hiring older workers: Evidence from Hong Kong. Industrial and Labor Relations Review, 52(3), 444-459. doi: 10.1177/001979399905200305

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