Canada’s workforce is getting older, and employers feel the pressure. Skilled employees are retiring, hiring is taking longer, and knowledge can disappear with one resignation. The risk is not age itself. It is failing to retain and transfer experience before it walks out the door.
Not automatically.
A July 2026 Statistics Canada study examined Canadian firms from 2001 to 2022. Productivity peaked in firms where the average worker was between 41 and 50 years old. These firms were 8.8% to 11.1% more productive than firms with an average worker age of 25 or younger.
Productivity declined after the average workforce age moved beyond that range. This suggests that neither a very young team nor a much older team automatically performs better. Strong results often come from balanced teams combining experience, current skills, and fresh ideas.
Experienced workers carry knowledge that is difficult to capture in a manual.
A long-serving employee may notice a production issue, customer concern, or safety risk before it becomes costly. That judgement develops through handling similar situations.
Data can show what is happening. Experience can help explain why. Older employees may understand past decisions, customer expectations, supplier relationships, and process limits.
Experienced and newer workers can combine practical knowledge with new tools. The OECD says a balanced age structure can improve productivity when employers manage age diversity well.
When a key employee retires without sharing knowledge, the company may lose client history, troubleshooting skills, and internal relationships. Replacing the job title does not always replace what the person knows.
In 2024, 19% of Canada’s population was aged 50 to 64, while another 19% was 65 or older. The average number of retirements rose from 183,900 in August 2012 to 276,800 in August 2025.
Many Canadians are also working longer. In 2025, the participation rate for people aged 65 and older reached a record 15.2%, representing nearly 1.2 million seniors working or looking for work.
For employers, this creates a warning and an opportunity. Retirements can widen skill gaps, but experienced workers can ease the transition.
Do not wait for a retirement announcement. Ask experienced employees to document key processes, recurring problems, client details, and decision-making steps.
Useful methods include:
Some employees may prefer part-time work, shorter weeks, project roles, or phased retirement. In 2025, 41.6% of employed Canadians aged 65 and older worked part time, and most said it was their preference.
Do not assume older workers cannot learn new technology. Training should be practical and tied to real tasks. The Government of Canada recommends peer training, individualized learning, job rotation, and cross-training.
Job ads asking for a “young, energetic team” may discourage experienced applicants. Focus on the skills, judgement, and results the position requires.
Track output, quality, errors, safety, and client retention. These measures reveal more about productivity than age alone.
They are part of the answer, but not the whole answer.
Canada also needs better technology adoption, stronger investment, useful training, and better matching between people and jobs. The OECD says higher participation among older workers can help, but it cannot restore long-term growth alone.
The business lesson is clear: experience creates more value when shared, updated, and combined with new skills.
Workforce aging is not only a retirement issue. It is a business planning issue.
Companies that act early can preserve knowledge, reduce disruption, prepare future leaders, and use employees’ strengths. The goal is not to favour one generation. It is to build teams where experience and new thinking improve each other.
No. Canadian research found that firms were most productive when their average workforce age was between 41 and 50. Performance depends on skills, health, technology, job design, and management.
Some enjoy working or prefer gradual retirement. Others continue because of financial needs, benefits, debt, or higher household costs.
It means sharing practical experience, methods, contacts, and problem-solving skills. Businesses can support it through mentoring, documentation, shadowing, and shared projects.
They can offer flexible hours, part-time roles, phased retirement, or advisory projects. A direct conversation about the employee’s needs is often the best starting point.
Employers should hire according to the role and the applicant’s ability. Older workers can bring experience, reliability, industry knowledge, and mentoring skills.
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