One million over 50s are jobless through employers' ageist attitudes

More than one million 50- to 65-year-olds who want to work can't get a job because employers won't recruit older workers, according to a TUC report. The TUC also accuses businesses of failing to retain the older workers they already employ by investing in training or making minor adjustments for disabilities.

The report, Ready Willing and Able, claims that of the 2.6 million 50- to 65-year-olds who are currently unemployed or economically inactive, more than one-third want a job, with 250,000 actively looking and 750,000 saying they would like to work.

It also found that despite an average retirement age of 63, only 12% of non-working 50- to 65-year-olds fit the stereotype of 'early retired, affluent professionals' and only one-third retire early 'fully voluntarily'.

The TUC warned of a demographic time-bomb if employers do not do more to employ older workers.
It is estimated that over the next 10 years the number of people under 50 will fall by 2% while the number aged 50-69 will rise by 17%.

The TUC estimates that without an extra one million people in work by 2015, workers will face higher taxes, later retirement or old-age poverty.

The report warns that government plans to tackle the problem by raising the state pension age will simply push more older people on to benefits, unless employers stop discriminating against older workers and adopt 'age management' strategies to retain the over-50s.

More information from the TUC website