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Government decision ignores the wishes of older people

December 15, 2004

Government's decision to make it legal for employers to dismiss people at 65 simply because of their age flies in the face of what older people want, makes no economic sense, and is stretching the European directive on age discrimination, said Professor Stephen McNair, Director of the Centre for Research into the Older Workforce at the University of Surrey today.

The Research Centre has been studying attitudes to work among people aged 50-70 for the last three years. The messages are clear:
? Nine out of ten think that people should have the right to continue working, as long as they are fit and able, whatever their age.
? Nine out of ten think that the skills and talents of older people are not being put to best use in Britain
? Two thirds think that abolishing compulsory retirement ages would be good for individuals, the economy and society
? One third would like to do some paid work after retiring from their main job, and only one third said they would definitely not want to continue.
? Only one quarter supported the Government's previous proposal to allow employers to dismiss people at 70 on grounds of age (it is likely that the proportion would have been lower if the question had been asked about 65)

In general, older people have very positive attitudes to work, with more than three in four saying that they enjoy work, that their employers value their work and experience and that their work makes a contribution to society.
With the largest ever group of people now approaching normal retirement age, and the lowest ever birth rates, the economy is beginning to run out of people to do the work, and there will be major economic problems if people are not encouraged to stay in work longer.
Earlier this year the Government's Skills Strategy White Paper revealed that an ageing workforce was a major constraint on growth in 6 out of 14 employment sectors (including Manufacturing, Construction and Transport). These sectors represent one third of the workforce, and three more sectors, representing another third of the workforce, reported serious skills shortages (including Education, Health and Financial Services).

Commenting on the Government decision today Professor McNair said:
"The economy needs older people to stay in work longer, and lots of older people want to do so. Up until now the UK Government has been leading the EU countries in encouraging this, and its work to achieve this was commended by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development this year. We signed up to the Age Discrimination Directive, under which age discrimination becomes illegal in 2006. I can think of nothing more discriminatory than telling someone who if fit, able and wants to work that they must stop just because it is their 65th birthday This decision flies in the face of economic need, of individuals' wishes and the spirit of the European directive."

Surrey, University of

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