800,000 older people want to work but face access barriers and discrimination
Some 800,000 older people want to return to work but are faced with barriers including inflexible working, access difficulties and age discrimination. Damning research shows as many as 330,000 retirees stopped working because they couldn’t access flexible working - the equivalent to 25% of the vacancies in the UK economy today.
The report, by think tank Demos and Anchor, England’s largest not-for-profit provider of housing and care for people in later life, found the number of UK workers aged 50-64 has fallen by 182,000 since 2019 – the equivalent to one sixth of current job vacancies. It noted the UK is an outlier, with the median OECD country having seen a 2% increase in later life workforce participation since the pandemic began. Experts said a return to pre-pandemic employment levels of older people could unlock £6.6billion a year.
The report also said the UK could benefit from £9.6billion a year if it matched the same levels of later life workforce participation as Australia or more than £30billion by matching Germany’s levels. Before the pandemic, the UK’s later life workforce participation rates were higher than Australia, and in 2008, the UK’s rates were higher than those in Germany, it noted.
The report makes several recommendations including subsidising occupational health services, investment in an age discrimination hotline and the offer of a tax-free £1,000 bonus for all workers over 55 in shortage occupations and earning less than £50,000 a year. It comes as official figures yesterday showed the biggest employment fall - down 207,000 - outside of a recession on record.
Sarah Jones, Chief Executive of Anchor, said: “The message is simple – our ageing population has incredible potential that is being missed. We must reverse the social and economic impacts of older people being excluded or overlooked to ensure they are supported to remain in work for as long as they choose.”
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She added: “Government must listen to the report’s findings and take action to empower our ageing population, unlocking both their potential and economic benefits.”
Andrew O’Brien, Director of Policy and Impact at Demos, said: "The UK is facing severe labour shortages and slow economic growth. One of the ways we can tackle these twin challenges is through helping older people to stay in work. Billions could be added to the UK economy if we can get this right. The government needs to send a clear signal to businesses and society that we value the work of older people."
Martin Hiles said the only option left open to him in England is volunteering'I'm not ready to slow down any time soon'
Martin Hiles, 76, said he’s “not ready to slow down any time soon” but said his ability to work has been questioned because of his age.
Mr Hiles returned from working abroad three years ago and took up a role as a truck driver during a period of shortage in the industry but found it negatively impacted him financially to continue.
“I couldn’t contribute to UK society even though I wanted to. The system wasn’t set up for it. At the moment I feel like a sponger, and the only option left open to me in England is volunteering, which I’ve done extensively in my local area,” he said.
Mr Hiles believes there is a need for policy changes to help those who want to work in later life.
“My ability to do a job came into question when I returned to the UK, due to my age,” he said.
“The big question being whether I could be relied upon to still do the job effectively and reliably. But older people are reliable and it’s such a shame that many are being immediately ignored once their age comes into it.
“Often, older people have had years of experience and the opportunity to share skills that their younger colleagues could learn from, but they aren’t given the opportunity to share them. I can’t do anything for my own country and it’s very frustrating.”
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