Survey on Older Workers

The Age and Employment Network (TAEN) has just published results of a recent survey that they have conducted into older workers.

The research has revealed that more older women are working than at any time in history. Furthermore there are more women than men in employment.

The rising cost of living as well as providing for earning enough for a comfortable retirement is cited as the reason for this trend. Many female workers are however part-time.

In the five year period before reaching retirement 58.4 per cent of men are in employment according to the ONS. For women the figure is 63.9 per cent.

Chris Ball, Chief Executive of TAEN commented:

"'Women have traditionally always had a lower level of activity in the labour market but that has changed dramatically over the last 20 years with more women working when they get past the child-bearing, childrearing age.

"The situation regarding pensions, particularly for women who tend to be less well provided for, has also led to more women being in work. Particularly interesting is that only a third of women working over the age of 50 are now actually retiring before they reach their current state pension age of 60 and that in the five years leading up to their state pension ages, more women are working than men.

"The fact that the average actual retirement age of women has risen to 61.9 years, is indicative of both the 'pensions disadvantage' that women of that generation face - both in regard to state and occupational pensions - and also of a genuine desire among many of them to go on working."

In another survey TAEN also highlighted that age discrimination continues to be a problem for older workers.

Only 10% of jobseekers aged over 50 say they had never experienced age discrimination when looking for work. Only 13% thought the age discrimination legislation introduced in 2006 had helped older people find work.

In the survey a majority highlighted employers' perceptions as a factor which had contributed most to their difficulties in getting work. Nearly two-thirds believed they were seen as too old by employers and nearly half said they were seen as too experienced or over-qualified.