Kate Andrews Kate Andrews

Why we should worry about the post-Covid exodus of older workers

(Photo: Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Concerns around unemployment during the pandemic have, understandably, been focused on younger people. Last year it was under-24 year olds most likely to be furloughed and then subsequently made unemployed when coming off the government’s scheme. For millions, the fate of their jobs remains on the line, as unemployment is expected to rise over the course of the year (albeit far less than originally predicted), even as the economy rebounds when lockdown restrictions lift.

But today the Office for National Statistics flags another concern; one that could potentially have a bigger impact on the labour market’s recovery post-pandemic. While the youngest have experienced a substantial economic hit from the virus, so have those at the other end of the working-age spectrum.

‘While the impact of the coronavirus… pandemic has been greatest for younger workers,’ reports the ONS, ‘older workers aged 50 years and over have been affected to a greater extent than those in the middle age groups.’ A reported 1.3 million people aged 50 and over are currently furloughed, making up a quarter of the total number of employees on the Job Retention Scheme – while three in ten of these workers think it’s more likely than not they will lose their job when the scheme comes to an end.

A spike in workers entering early retirement will only increase the burden on the working-age population



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It’s inevitable that some people will emerge from furlough to discover their jobs no longer exist. Even if Covid restrictions are fully lifted and society is able to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, substantial shifts in the way we work, shop and live have taken place over the past year – some of which are bound to stay. The concern for older workers, the ONS notes, is that redundancy might mean the end of their time in the workforce altogether.



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