“There is again little reason for optimism for 50 plus workers in the latest labour market stats with the data again highlighting why the government is right to put increasing support for more older people back into the labour market so high up its priority list.
“It is a vital issue for individual people, for employers looking to fill skills and labour shortages and for the growth of an economy teetering on the brink of recession. The persistence of increased levels of economic inactivity for older people since the pandemic clearly indicate that the barriers to returning to the labour market later in working life remain and there are still very large numbers of people who remain locked out of it.
“There have been a considerable number of policies raised in recent weeks ranging from tax incentives to increasing GPs' involvement in employment support to changes to benefit rules. On March 15, we need to see an ambitious package of measures that meet the scale of this vital issue for the future of our economy.
“At Ageing Better, we would like to see a national programme of 50+ employment support to help people in this group find their way back into work. Support should be made available without having to come via the Jobcentre and should be specifically targeted to this age group, tailored to individuals and actively promoted to people in their 50s and 60s.
“We also need to see a much stronger message from government to employers that removing age-related barriers to work will be vital to driving growth in the coming years. Meanwhile, individual employers should take steps to ensure that they offer a supportive and attractive work environment for the recruitment, retention and training of older workers. Any business or organisation that wants to learn more about how to benefit from building a multigenerational workforce should sign up to Ageing Better's newly-launched Age-friendly Employer Pledge.”
