Understanding and supporting Britain’s older workers …
The UK’s aging population is creating a significant need for people to work later in life. By 2020 the over 50’s will be 50% of the adult population and we have had a lot of feedback from many of our Silverhairs members saying that being in their fifties and sixties (and even some in their seventies) doesn’t feel old and they are happy to keep working.
The Government has recently issued a paper detailing trends for the over 50’s and their working lives. Too Much to Lose outlines that this, along with other trends, means that older workers will continue to play a much more significant role in the UK economy than ever before. This presents both opportunities and challenges. Today’s older workers are more educated, less likely to work in physically demanding roles and are less susceptible to health problems than ever before. However, the challenges facing older jobseekers are large: a jobseeker over the age of 50 is significantly less likely to return to work within the next year, and the cost of spells of unemployment to future wages is considerably greater than it is for younger or middle-aged workers.
This report argues that the back-to-work support provided to older workers fails to meet their needs. To tackle this, it sets out a plan for support that directly addresses the needs of older workers, at the same time as demanding that jobseekers are doing all they can to get back to work. As well as this they argue that there is a need to look at retirement differently, promoting more flexible working and supporting better communication between businesses and their employees.
To read the full report please see the following link:
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