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One in seven HR managers plans to use the default retirement age to help cut jobs, according to a survey by Age Concern and Help the Aged.
Results from a poll of 104 managers showed that they were increasingly planning to make more use of retirement policies during the recession, even though research found that people believe they should have the right to work beyond the age of 65.
In a separate study of almost 1,000 adults over the age of 50, nine out of 10 said they should be allowed to continue working past 65 if they wanted to.
Michelle Mitchell, charity director, said: "It's wrong-headed and economically unwise for employers to force people who want to work out of a job just because of their age."
Beth Vaughan, communications director at the Employers Forum on Age, said the report highlighted a worrying trend.
"Organisations need to take a long-term view on growth and restructure, as the post-recession working environment is being reshaped. An ageing population, alongside an increasingly multicultural society, must be recognized and reflected within the workplace," she said.
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