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.

Maybe they’re all in teaching! Dd keeps asking why all the teachers are older women

5 women in our team of 8 people are 50 or over. We are all at a similar stage in life and get on extremely well with each other.

47 and I'm the youngest in my female only department of 8 staff altogether. I plan to take my nhs pension at 55 and retrain in something I should have done years ago. The pay is too low for me to do that now but with a pension topping things up it's achievable

Just thought of something else - a few years ago I joined a meet up group for over 50s women only, like a social thing, lunches, occasional outing or dinner etc. I only worked part time so it was fine to slot into a few dates now and again.

I left in the end as I was the only one working with children still at home. All the others were retired by 50 with plenty of money and gone into full on ladies who lunch mode!

@WinterBargains2739

Early 50s, still working FT The earliest I can take my private pension is 55 I will also have 35 years National Insurance contributions which are required to receive a full state pension at 55 too. No PT job available in my current job. I may work until 60, but I need to crunch some numbers.

I work with other older females who are also in their 50s

One friend in their early 50s had a career break for a couple of years to look after a frail elderly relative

I will also have 35 years National Insurance contributions which are required to receive a full state pension at 55 too.

@WinterBargains2739 others posters have picked up on this too... can you confirm where you live? You can't get your state pension in England (and possibly other UK countries but don't low for sure) until you're at least 67.

@WinterBargains2739

My state retirement age is current 68 You need 35 qualifying years NI to receive a full state pension I will have 35 years NI contributions at age 55

I have some personal pensions. The earliest I can access these are 55

Clarification from the poster for those worried she did not understand state pensions. I think here she is saying she can access personal pensions at 55, but knows the state retirement age for her is 68.

52 here and hope I have one more promotion in me. No point in retiring as I still have secondary school children - those cheap out of season holidays can wait. I have caring responsibilities for an elderly parent so time is tight. I’m fortunate in choosing to work - it’s an interesting field. If it starts to lose the attraction I may go part time at 55. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself though.

Thanks @1967buglet . I just read:

I will also have 35 years National Insurance contributions which are required to receive a full state pension at 55 too.

which made me panic on that poster's behalf so didn't read any further for updates. To be fair the above statement wasn't particularly ambiguous!

Late fifties and just got a fantastic new job with a huge salary increase. I’m one of the youngest in my team of mainly women as the job requires a lot of experience and knowledge. Also just finished an MSc in a completely different field in case I want to jump ship at some point.

@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 and this is in the financial sector which pleases me no end.

I started a new career in my 50s, having previously been a teacher in secondary schools. DCs are now adults & I no longer need school holidays off. I can also be more flexible in the hours I'm able to work. I'm hoping to stay working until I'm 67. By then the mortgage should be paid off and I will have a state and teachers pension entitlement. I work for a charity and there will be opportunities to continue in voluntary roles after that, should I want to. No grandchildren yet, I might change my mind if one or more of them come along beforehand.

I’m quite shocked at this as like other posters I’m in higher education which seems protected. Also started hrt before any real menopause symptoms due to a health condition so think possibly underestimate how brutal the menopause can be. Am late 50s with two still dependent teens with minor special needs. Work full time in a very demanding role with lots of different balls in the air with plenty of similar aged women. Hope to move to easier part time role when younger child 18 in four years. I really don’t think work cares about my age and I certainly feel respected. I think I’m probably the most competent and confident I’ve ever been. Yes I’m knackered much of the time but would have been at 35.

I work at a University and there are loads of 50something women, and older.

My DM lost her job at 60 and found it impossible to find a new one. She faced a lot of blatant agism with bosses not wanting to hire someone older than them.

I'm 63 and work part time. I love my job and am not ready to retire yet. Working kept me sane during the lockdowns.

‘But what gets me, is there is no recognition if the menopause in this, or the fact that older people perform differently from younger people.’

I have been having a hellish menopause. Boss is aware. I have terrible sleep and aches and low energy but I still do my job well, work long hours and am respected by my clients. Despite this I have been told I should look for another job because things will get worse for me ie. I will be performance managed out. I am a lone parent to school
Age children. I want to stay in my job but because I am not ambitious I am being forced out.

My sector is similar to OP - very few women > 45
i think its partly due to being a pyramid structure - not as many senior jobs as junior and the expectation is that you either get promoted or leave so junior roles= younger people. And senior roles are dominated by men

I am in a senior position in academia and there are many women in their 50s.
My current role allows me a great deal of flexibility which as a single parent (youngest is 12) and varying caring responsibilities for older family members I really appreciate.

I have also wfh for many years.

If I had a job with a long commute where it was essential I was present for core office hours every day I would be really struggling.
Thank goodness I'm not, cos I am WAY off being able to consider retiring or working p/t.

I'm 55 and just been promoted.
Much better easier to focus on my career now my kids have left home.

Despite this I have been told I should look for another job because things will get worse for me ie. I will be performance managed out. I am a lone parent to school Age children. I want to stay in my job but because I am not ambitious I am being forced out.

Yikes @Stopsnowing -- did your manager really say that you will be managed out - to your face??

Fascinating thread. It's very heartening to read about women getting great roles and being rewarded for experience and maturity.

I think some of the "invisibility" comes from many of us WFH. Instead of strutting down city streets in sharp tailoring I'm in my home office in leggings and sneakers -- which is the case for many of us, women and men, of all ages, who work in media.

For those of you who have started a new career, what sort of work do you do now? I'm hoping to retrain as a nurse. There's a desperate shortage here in Australia, and now that I'm through menopause and have my old youthful energy back (yes, folks, it can come back!!) I'd love a more physically active role where I'm constantly learning new things.

Middle age does not mean the end of ambition.

‘Yikes @Stopsnowing -- did your manager really say that you will be managed out - to your face??’

No she said that things were going to get tough and I should find a new job.

I have loads of work to do, have done nothing wrong so they will have to find a reason to get rid of me (I have seen them do it to other people.)

I'm still there, several years over 50, working full time.

I’m 60 and took early(ish) retirement shortly before my 58th birthday. After 40 odd years of continuous full time work it was just starting to feel a bit relentless.

A teacher in Victoria. I'm probably the oldest teacher in my school at 67, but plenty of 50+ women, and in promoted positions.

I'm retiring at the end of this year.