Rishi wants the over 50s back to work, which are the companies clamouring for over 50s employees?

[StarInTheHeavens]

I never hear about a shortage of over 50s staff so who are the companies that will absorb this workforce?

You’re privileged to be able to walk that far. I am disabled but not until about 40. Heart issues amongst others can become a problem as we age and not everyone at 50+ is healthy. It’s not interesting, it’s heartbreaking.

People who are long tern unemployed (e.g. still seeking work for more than 12 months etc) are significantly more likely to be over 50

It would be ageism, it could be outdated skills, it could be both. But unless he is going to put his money where his mouth is and start incentivising companies to take on older employees then what are people looking for work supposed to do about it?

I am older and working, and also pretty invisible. I know people do not treat me as seriously as I used to be treated.

I'm early 50s and retired. Sorry not going back to work in care, nhs or service industries, farming etc. If I did go back Id go back to what I used to do, a career that afforded me the ability to retire early. I don't think over fifties are going to plug the gap in the way the government want them to, we're not all going to be carers or veg pickers.

Dear Rishi

Made redundant at 57 at the end of fulough, accountant thought she could do my job, she couldn't they went bust, (hey ho) anyway I looked at the numbers and decided to just mooch for eighteen months until DH retired, and that is what we do, we mooch, we had a lovely two hour pub lunch today by an open fire, we have taken all week to de Christmas the house, as opposed to killing ourselves over one weekend.

Sometimes when I get a little bored, I google jobs in my sector that require people with my experience and qualifications and generally they want one person to do the work of two people. Not happening.

Take your tax free and stuff it, I will take a little bit of boredom in the winter months to no longer work.

HTH Rishi.

Sold a business 2007 OH is older. I was 51 no-one was interested. I had a marketing background. Back then the accusation was my age group were stealing jobs from young people. I got a volunteer role in a charity, fundraising department. I was smarter than the second in command who hated me and other volunteers. But the boss was lovely.

No-one wanted older folks back then.

I'd like to see more office jobs that are part time or job share, personally. I'm working in retail at the moment but don't think my knees or back will last another ten years!

I work in nhs admin and we have 4 members of our team who get state pension
1 her husband died leaving a lot of debt
1 lady had bad advice on an endowment and needs the money
1 is widowed no kids likes the company
1 is just greedy looses most of her money to tax and moans constantly about this and the job I wonder why she is there!!

My retirement age is 67 and I think that's dreadful I hate to think how exhausted I'll be by then!

You honestly think that's the cause of all the country's problems? Really?

Well, there's a shortage of drivers round here. I do a couple of afternoons volunteering. But might have considered a driving job.

This is a very good point - retail and hospitality is not ideal when people are older if they have to stand for hours but those jobs are lower paid anyway and if people had to reduce their hours they'd be worse off obviously but affected more than someone in a well paid job cutting down.

I’m 55 and Rishi would approve of me I think, I’ve just upped my working hours from 22 to 28 per week. My employer was really keen for this to happen, which was quite pleasing. Can’t see myself retiring for many many years, need to partially fund the DCs through university first, I was an older mum. Possibly when all DCs are post 18 I may go back full time. There are very few older women in my role. I am not that senior and in some ways it’s a good thing, quite a few of my peers were promoted and have since retired. They all said the pressure of the senior role got to them after a few years. At my level there is always recruitment going on so I feel quite secure in my job at the moment, staying on at my level seems quite sustainable for at least a decade ahead.

This.

Many jobs are so intense, you have to work full on all the time. The days when there were a lull in your day, or time for a chat while you work, are gone.

It's not sustainable for many of us. I'm only good for low paid work these days, and only a few hours a day. I just don't have the stamina.

I'm a former teacher.
I applied for a librarian job a while back, didn't get an interview.

Let’s face it, those in their 50s who have left work have done so because (usually) they can afford to. Working class, non professionals will be working until they drop.

A lot has been out down to covid, well maybe but the reality is for more senior people, that is not what is a main driver. One that is mentioned to me is the rapidly increasing tax levels and that it just isn't worth continuing working as pro rata it is disproportionate. So of course these are people that are comfortable but frankly it isn't worth stepping down maybe for an easier job, earning £40k when they can also drawn a pension down and then get clobbered with 40% tax plus 13% ni counts. As the thresholds are being frozen it gets worse.

The gov just doesn't seem to grasp that tax, especially higher rates are a huge disincentive....ie on a £40k salary, after tax and ni etc it amounts to £100 a day. Appreciate a lot for some, not not a lot for a lot others and they don't fancy working for £12 an hour in a stressful job. Problem is that when they stand down, there is often not the applicants with the skill creating a vast gap. This is rife in the NHS

There will be lots of teachers in their 50s who are retired but not sure how keen they would be to start working in another field or even back in schools. 50 is ancient in teaching. Agree with pp that teachers are often managed out when they get expensive.

I took voluntary redundancy in my early 50s during a mass reorganisation of the schools in my local authority. I can’t think of anyone over 50 who managed to get a new job within the authority and those who left struggled to find a new job elsewhere.

I tried to return to supply teaching during the pandemic but was told my references were out of date. I have 25 years experience of teaching in inner-city secondary schools but can’t get a job!

Btw I am late 50s and would be open to working in a different field. Everything non-teaching I have applied for don’t want to know eg supermarkets, retail, hospitality. Presumably that’s due to my age.

I’m for anything that reduces ageism at work so if more people get back in it’s no bad thing

I retired from a fairly niche NHS job at 55.

I went back 2 days a week and during covid times the pension abatement rules were cancelled. Abatement is when if your combined income and pension exceed what you were earning before then your pension is reduced.

The govt have extended this until at least 2025. I can now work as much as I like without it affecting my pension. Which is handy because succession planning in the NHS is pretty poor and my skills are still very much in demand.

The gov just doesn't seem to grasp that tax, especially higher rates are a huge disincentive....ie on a £40k salary, after tax and ni etc it amounts to £100 a day. Appreciate a lot for some, not not a lot for a lot others and they don't fancy working for £12 an hour in a stressful job. Problem is that when they stand down, there is often not the applicants with the skill creating a vast gap. This is rife in the NHS

£40,000 is a take home of £120 a day. (£150 before tax)

That's £20 an hour before tax - which is better than £12 an hour

Can't see this helping, if you are in the workplace, and someone else comes in to do the same job. Retired had downtime and pension and then has a tax break on top how well will that go down with others ?

He'd be better scrapping the IR35 changes HE imposed if he's talking about lorry drivers, doctors, etc!

It's ageism. My husband's 47 and already working, but wanted to look for another job. He was turned down from the last one, because they were looking for younger men. He found that a neighbour who's 52, is facing the same thing, after being made redundant. Shame really.

I'm mid 50s, work in professional role in large public sector organisation. Been here three years but has been a series of fixed term contracts. All the permanent roles at my level go to people in their early 30s at most as the organisation head sees them as the people to be trained up to be the future senior leaders. People my age with years of senior level experience are discounted as too old. We are stuck on a continuing series of fixed term contracts.

However, these younger recruits never stay longer than a couple of years as the headline salary is lower than for equivalent roles in the private sector, though the defined benefit pension scheme and other perks more than make up for it. People my age value the pension scheme much more and would very likely stay in the role until retirement if given the chance. In my case that is at least 13 years.

Instead, I am having to consider looking outside the sector for a secure permanent role which is a shame as I really enjoy working here.

I am older and working, and also pretty invisible
This - caring responsibilities (elderly parent) did for my career (the men in the family all took a big step back and left me with the slog and expense). I now work FT for less than half of what I earned ten years ago in an entry-level position in an industry I worked in for twenty years. Why would any over 50s choose to humiliate themselves like that? This isn't a country that values older people - esp women.