AIBU to wonder where the women over 50 are in the workforce?

[Waferbiscuit]

I'm over 50 and I've noticed a very obvious trend of women leaving the workforce at around my age. Throughout my 40s I saw many women my age move to part-time, but they were still visible. Now I go into meetings (I attends lots of cross-org plus city-wide/region-wide meetings) and I never see women my age or older.

Anecdotally the four women my age who I worked alongside have all left their roles to do a bit of consultancy work or stop working altogether.

Is it just my sector or is this trend something other people are seeing in their line of work? Are women at 50 leaving the workforce because of caring responsibilities? Of course not all women have caring responsibilities so are they leaving because their other half (if they have a partner) makes more money? Or is the workforce just breaking people, so by 50 women stand up and say 'I've had enough' ??? Genuinely curious.

Don’t see that in my world (IT) - seeing a lot of 50+ women taking on senior roles, leading organisations, mentoring next gen

I think 50 is around the time women begin to reevaluate their lives, as many have reached menopause and are dealing with the associated issues, then they may have caring responsibilities, may have decided to go part-time or retrain. But I think you’re right in that it’s about the age where some of us want to make changes. I retrained and went part-time after years of seeing my DH make more with his annual bonus than my salary. ☹️

Well I'm still here. Don't work, don't eat. Simple.

Some will be following their dream to start their own business, become yoga teachers, start foster caring. By 50 I had paid off my mortgage, got some cash in the bank and had a reasonable pension pot, so I could afford to do work that really interested me rather than focusing on work that paid well. There’s more to life than money. Won’t be the case for everyone but sometimes it is a conscious choice.

I'll be 50, and there are plenty of women older than me in our organisation. But outside work I do see women in their 50's going part time because they become grandparents and want to do childcare (or stopping work when they were already PT) or having a career change - someone I know is about to stop their finance career and study counselling FT. She's divorced, DC finished uni and now is her time.

@Jammylodger

Don’t see that in my world (IT) - seeing a lot of 50+ women taking on senior roles, leading organisations, mentoring next gen

Same here.

Lots of women in their 50s in my area (higher education) although not necessarily high up in their institutions.

Maybe change of career juggle elder parents etc. My neighbour a granny 51 helps her son a few days. Im 48 still working but fed up admin work. Retail is minimum wage

I'm very much over 50 and I have noticed a split in the women of my vintage. Some are going after more senior roles now that children are grown and some are starting new careers.

51 here and I retained and qualified as a vet nurse. Definitely an age where women are leaving the profession. It's a physically demanding job and low pay doesn't make it an attractive option for older woman. I'm loving it but I am hoping to reduce my hours in a few years

I'm 60. I work. 👋🏼

I'm 51 and there are plenty my age in my org (professional services) but I know (due to my work) that menopause is one cause of a lot of women in their early 50s leaving the workforce.

Interesting and good to see that there are lots of women my/our age working in other sectors.

Some friends have suggested the 'patriarchal' work structure/environment (that was created by and likely benefits men more) wears women down over time - it may be that too.

I am hoping for a 'final' promotion in the next year or so then another 5/6 years until the kids leave school. The plan is then to take a big step back - I'll be 52/53. I am then expecting to work for another decade but also have a bit of time to get a better balance. I don't want to wait for retirement for that so the kids leaving home is my 'trigger' (and yes I know they may not leave at 18 but it's at that point I expect some degree of independence from them either by gong to uni or some other form of training).

Our mortgage is paid off and the kids have an inheritance to cover uni and/or the start of a deposit. I do need to keep working on the pension pot though.

@Waferbiscuit

I'm over 50 and I've noticed a very obvious trend of women leaving the workforce at around my age. Throughout my 40s I saw many women my age move to part-time, but they were still visible. Now I go into meetings (I attends lots of cross-org plus city-wide/region-wide meetings) and I never see women my age or older.

Anecdotally the four women my age who I worked alongside have all left their roles to do a bit of consultancy work or stop working altogether.

Is it just my sector or is this trend something other people are seeing in their line of work? Are women at 50 leaving the workforce because of caring responsibilities? Of course not all women have caring responsibilities so are they leaving because their other half (if they have a partner) makes more money? Or is the workforce just breaking people, so by 50 women stand up and say 'I've had enough' ??? Genuinely curious.

I'm 56 and just 'retired' a couple of months ago. I had just had enough, and we can manage financially.

I’m 50 and one of the younger employees in my department most are late 50s to mid 60s.

59 but the majority of my friends of similar age have either taken early retirement or actively planning. Suspect I will be the only who will have to work to 67. Ex teacher. Again those colleagues/friends are done in by then. I left teaching at 55 but not made up a sufficient pension pot - children and part-time.

[shrug] I work with lots in professional services, most of them very senior.

I am late thirties and work in M&A in the city. My direct boss and the one above is a women in her fifties.

I'm 50 next month and will be going at 55. Have planned accordingly.
Nursing since I wasn't 18. Can't wait to get out and my similarly aged colleagues are the same.

I've turned freelance and largely work from home in ad-hoc and sessional roles.

I'm still around. NHS career. There are plenty of us but ageism is alive and kicking. My trust had a drive to encourage students to choose NHS careers. They asked for professionals to have their photograph taken to advertise their profession but only wanted young people
I wouldn't have volunteered anyway and OK it was aimed at students but those students will, hopefully, get older

I'm still in the workforce. I am planning on doing a degree starting in 2023, so I'll be looking at either seeing if my current job could go part time, or looking for another job if not. It'll be time for me to ddo something for me instead of doing stuff for everyone else.

I wonder too how much is ageism. IME it gets very hard for women to get new roles after 45. Not in all sectors, but many.

My boss is a woman over 50 and our CEO is too. I'm a teacher. Sure you're right in many professions- just not in mine I guess.