Can we really work with all our faculties at 64, 65 or 70 years old? Science provides concrete answers.
At what age is it urgent to stop working? Social sciences and demography have clearly highlighted that over recent decades, life expectancy has increased significantly in developed countries, including in France. This has led to an increase in the average age of the entire population, including people who are called upon to make major decisions.
But aren’t they too old for so much responsibility? And on other scales, a professor, a schoolteacher, a doctor… Can they be too old to work properly? Some people are making themselves heard in the public debate, such as supporters of an age limit for certain political responsibilities, as reported the BBC : they emphasize that cognitive abilities decrease with age.
There is scientific evidence to establish a maximum age for work. A study published by the University of Cambridge found that a significant proportion of people over the age of 65 have developed “executive” function impairment. It has also been demonstrated that mental processing speed declines from around age 60.
“I think as a general cut-off point, 65 is a reasonable age,” BBC Mark Fisher, who directs the Center for Neuropolitics at the University of California, Irvine. However, he adds that there is “enormous individual variability”, in other words large differences from one person to another.
Supporters of the age limit believe that the risks of making a major error in one’s missions or decisions are too high not to be considered. They propose to set an age limit for managerial positions. In the United States, for example, a Republican presidential candidate, Nikki Haley, has called for politicians over the age of 75 to submit to mental skills tests. This proposal has been criticized.
In addition to their discriminatory aspect, these tests are not infallible and could indeed be used for political purposes. Additionally, it would be difficult to determine who should be subject to them and how they would be administered. Another argument against the age limit: some older people have greater abilities than young people but also experience and wisdom acquired with age, which can be valuable assets for political leaders or business leaders.
Lifestyle is essential
If the age of 65 seems to be the consensus, this average can therefore hide very different cases from one person to another. In reality, the link between age and ability to work is complex. There is a great deal of individual variation, and factors such as lifestyle and environment can play an important role.
A study published in the journal Neurology found that people who lead a healthy lifestyle tend to retain their cognitive abilities longer.