The UK has an ageing population in common with many other European countries. The number and proportion of both men and women aged over 65 who are working has generally risen over the last two decades.

The increasing proportion of older people living in the UK reflects the ageing of those born during the 1960s baby boom, the extended longevity of the whole population and declining fertility rates amongst the younger population. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), in 2020 the population of the UK was 67.1 million. This agency estimates that by 2030, 21.8% of people in the UK will be aged 65 or over, 6.8% will be aged 75 or older and 3.2% will be 85 or over. The UK life expectancy at birth in 2018 to 2020 was 79.0 years for males and 82.9 years for females.

The median age for the UK’s population in 2020 was 40.5 (up from 34.4 in 1980) with the ONS predicting this will rise to 42.2 by 2035. The UK’s ageing population means that the workforce in the ‘over 50’ category is growing. The UK’s ageing workforce has considerable consequences for employers. According to the ONS in 2021 some 10.8% of the entire age group of those aged 65 or above were in work and this equated to more than 1.2 million people:

• People born post-World War II to 1964 are now in their fifties and sixties – the first reached the age of 70 in 2016.
• The UK default retirement age was abolished in 2011 – the consequence of which is that people may work for as long as they want or are able.
• Falling birth rates and increased life expectancies put pressure on public finances and pension schemes.
• People are likely to need to work longer to meet the labour market needs as exemplified by the impact of Brexit and the reduction in European workers coming to the UK.

The increase in numbers of older workers can be positive for employers and for staff. Research indicates that older workers tend to have more experience and be more loyal to their companies. Although more mature staff have a reduced risk of accidents, employers should note that they carry a higher risk of fatal accidents in certain sectors, for example in agriculture where fatality rates are higher for older workers. The rate of fatal injury does increase with age, as illustrated by the fact that according to the HSE, for the period 2016/17-2020/21 workers aged 60-64 were twice as likely to suffer a fatal injury when compared to the all ages rate, whilst workers aged 65 and over had a rate almost four times as high as the all ages rate.

Studies have shown that age can influence an individual’s physical strength, speed and cognitive functions (such as memory skills), but also that ageing is specific to each individual. It is therefore inadvisable, and potentially discriminatory, to generalise about the influence of age on these aspects of employability.

Equality law ensures that the UK Government is committed to raising employer awareness, and adoption of, flexible employment and retirement opportunities that are intended to promote the recruitment, retention and training of older workers. Effective health and safety management requires employers to ensure older workers can be both healthy and safe at work. To achieve this objective, the structure of recruitment, work and training may need to be reviewed by employers.