The labour market underperformance of older workers in some of the UK’s major urban areas is an issue of national significance. With the state pension age rising, cuts to working age welfare benefits, growing numbers of vacancies, there are many reasons why supporting the re-entry to employment and/or purposeful activity of the ‘missing million’ matters.
Ageing Better, in partnership with Greater Manchester Combined Authority, is seeking to increase labour market engagement and participation among people aged 50 to state pension age. It is recognised that this may require a major change both in the way that support is provided and in the interventions themselves, particularly in neighbourhoods where employment rates for older people are lowest and barriers are most evident.
In order to start the programme a practitioner workshop was arranged on Tuesday, 26 April in Manchester to bring together professional partners, stakeholders and other relevant bodies from across Greater Manchester. This report summarises the findings of the workshop.