A silver lining for the UK economy?: the intergenerational case for supporting longer working lives

Despite the growth in older workers over the last 20 years, there is still a stark gap between employment rates of people in their 50s and early 60s and those in their 40s. Currently, less than half of the population are in employment the year before they are eligible for their state pension. This age employment gap is likely to grow in line with the scheduled rises in state pension age unless action is taken now. The key driver of supporting people to work for longer is to improve the quality of work. Improving employment practices for older workers will make the workplace better for everyone. This policy option paper explores how supporting older workers to remain in better, more fulfilling work for longer can be part of the solution to addressing the fiscal pressures of an ageing population.

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