Northern Future Forum is a meeting place for politicians, researchers and businesses and was first held in London in 2011 under the name “The UK Nordic Baltic Summit”. The aim is to debate important future issues and focus is on sustainable growth and competitiveness.
This year Sweden hosted the meeting in Stockholm from 8 to 9 February, gathering prime ministers from the Nordic and Baltic countries plus the UK. The host country chose this year’s themes: female entrepreneurs and leadership and how to encourage older people to work for longer.
The median age in Sweden is rising and by 2030 an estimated one in four Swedes will be over 65. In 2010 the remaining life expectancy after 65 was just over 21 years for women and just over 18 years for men. The median age is currently increasing by one year per decade.
The impact of the increasing number of pensioners compared to the number of people in work is now being assessed in the so-called pension age inquiry. The aim is to get an overview of pension related age limits and to look into possibly increasing working life. The head of the inquiry, Ingemar Eriksson, will also come up with suggestions for working environment measures or changes to other areas which will make it easier for people to work into older age.
The inquiry was commissioned in April 2011. It is to submit an interim report in April 2012 and its final report should be submitted no later than 1 April 2013.