Closing the employment gap for older workers could generate £9bn a year for the UK economy, according to the Centre for Ageing Better.
The charity has called on political parties to commit to improving opportunities for workers between the ages of 50 and 64, suggesting doing so would net an additional £1.6 billion a year in tax and national insurance revenue.
It has worked with Age UK, the Institute for Employment Studies and think tank Demos to draw up a “50+ Employment Commitment” that outlines six steps parties could take to support 500,000 more older workers into employment.
The Centre for Ageing Better wants whoever gains political power at next month’s general election to increase the employment rate of 50- to 64-year-olds by 75% by 2030.
Older workforce
Supporters of the campaign believe that older workers are currently being let down by ageism and age bias in the labour market, not enough flexible working and health support, and limited opportunities for skills development.
Encouraging older workers to return to the workforce has been a goal of the government’s strategy to reduce economic inactivity, after almost a fifth of those who left jobs during the pandemic had failed to find paid work.
However, in January, a survey by the Centre found that 37% of people in their 50s and 60s had experienced age discrimination at work in the previous year.
Dr Emily Andrews, deputy director for work at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “The pandemic stalled two decades of improvement in the employment rate of older age groups and they have not recovered. If employment opportunities stagnate after 50, so too will the UK economy.”
She urged the next government to have a “sustained focus” on the issue.
“By 2030, there will be an additional 1.2 million people aged 50-64 in the UK, but only another 500,000 people aged 15-29. The future of UK growth and productivity over the next Parliament depends on mobilising the 50+ workforce,” she added.
“This is not about special treatment for older workers. This is about fairness and ensuring equal opportunity for older workers seeking employment or wanting to stay in work that will benefit employers, the economy and the whole country.
“By the end of the next Parliament, the state pension age is set to rise to 67. It is imperative that we act now to reignite the pre-pandemic momentum and ensure that no segment of our workforce is left behind.”
The 50+ Employment Commitment calls upon political parties to do the following:
- Raise the level of employment support for those between 50 and 64 to that of people in their 40s
- Increase investment in employment support for people in their 50s and 60s, with targeted support for anyone over 50 who is out of work
- Expand mid-life review pilots, and create more opportunities for people to upskill, reskill and develop
- Review the Department for Work and Pensions’ approach to employment and benefits to all people in their 60s before the state pension age goes up to 67
- Consult on the introduction of paid carer’s leave and strengthen the recent legislation on unpaid carer’s leave
- Deliver a government-backed awareness and information campaign to champion employing workers in their 50s and 60s.
Tony Wilson, director at the Institute for Employment Studies, said: “Three-quarters of all employment growth this century has been among people aged over 50 but in the last four years this has ground to a halt. For the first time in three decades, employment among older people has stopped growing.
“Addressing this needs to be a top priority for whoever wins this general election, as helping more older people into work and to stay in work is going to be key to supporting a stronger economy, better public finances and fewer people in poverty.
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“A 75% target looks ambitious from where we are now, but it is really the least that we should aim for. We’re currently around 20th in Europe for employment among older people, and around a dozen countries are already at 75% higher. We should be there too.”
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