Jersey States Prefer Grey Power to Immigrants
Tax-news.com
25 September 1999

Pursuing one of their constant preoccupations, the Jersey legislature's Establishment Committee approved a policy document resulting from a 4-year study of the island's labour market. The policy will offer inducements to pensioners, or those approaching retirement, to accept short-term contracts in the public or private sectors, and the hope is that these 'new' jobs will to some extent lessen the constant pressure from immigrants sucked into the island's labour market by excess demand. This kind of dirigiste market management is extremely vulnerable to manipulation, and unless it is brilliantly managed is most likely to transfer resources to those who don't need them without any corresponding gain in amenity. A more positive interpretation could be that compulsory retirement will be weakened in favour of a more flexible approach to the employment of older people. The document now goes to the Policy and Resources Committee for approval.

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