The
number of people working beyond the normal retirement age will soar in the next
few years, new research suggests.
Half
of people aged over 50 intend to keep working, compared with 9 per cent of
people over retirement age who are now in work.
The
survey – by Reed Consulting and Age Concern London – shows one in 10 people
hope to stop work before reaching 60, and a third plan to retire before 65. But
a quarter are aiming to stay on until the age of 70, and an additional 23 per
cent intend to keep working for as long as possible.
It
also revealed four out of five people over 50 years old believed they’d had job
applications rejected solely because of their age.
James
Reed, of Reed Consulting, said: "The major barrier to fully using these
skills appears to be out-moded perceptions of what older workers can
contribute.
"Yet
employers simply cannot afford to maintain such perceptions in the future, as
skills shortages accelerate and demographic shifts drastically cut down the
number of younger workers available."
