Staying in the Labour Force Despite Digitalisation: Older Workers, Gender, and Non-Formal Education in Central and Eastern Europe

Focusing on eight Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, this study explores how older adults attempt to enhance their digital skills through non-formal education and examines the relationship between these efforts and labour market status from a gender perspective. Using chi-square tests of independence and Cramer's V to assess the strength of associations, the findings indicate statistically significant yet small effect sizes between training participation and age group (older vs younger adults) and gender. Focusing specifically on older adults, the study reveals a significant association between labour market status and attempts to develop digital skills, with the strongest effects during the training period in Latvia, Croatia, and Czechia. This association is relatively stronger for males, notably among part-time workers in Croatia and the self-employed in Poland, while remaining weak for females. However, when labour market status at the time of the survey is used – indicating longer-term labour force attachment – the association becomes stronger for women, reaching moderate levels in Latvia and Hungary. Descriptive data further highlight gender disparities. Although older women outnumber men in training participation and report more positive perceptions of its usefulness, they are generally less educated and more likely to exit the labour force over time. Thus, this study suggests that while ICT-related training is positively evaluated by older female adults, it alone may be insufficient to sustain older adult women's labour market participation, calling for policies addressing both skills and structural barriers.