How often do we find ourselves discussing the “challenges” of an ageing workforce, when perhaps we should be asking a different question entirely? What if this demographic shift isn’t a problem to solve, but rather the UK’s most undervalued strategic opportunity? The Centre for Ageing Better has just released an analysis showing that closing the employment gap for workers over 50 could inject a remarkable £9 billion into our economy annually. That’s not a projection—that’s real, measurable value sitting right under our noses.
After years of working across industries where results matter, from the relentless pace of hospitality to the precision demands of automotive, one thing has become crystal clear: the biggest breakthroughs happen when we question what we’ve always accepted as truth.
The Economic Engine We’re Ignoring
The numbers tell a story that should make every finance director sit up and take notice. Simply bringing older workers’ employment rates in line with their younger counterparts would generate £1.6 billion in tax and national insurance contributions each year. Think about what that means for your organisation’s operating environment: better infrastructure, stronger public services, more resilient communities. All from ensuring people over 50 have fair access to meaningful work.
The 50+ Employment Commitment: Your Roadmap to Action
There’s already a clear framework on the table. The 50+ Employment Commitment sets an ambitious but achievable target: 75% employment among 50-64 year olds by 2030. Backed by organisations like Demos, Age UK, and the Institute for Employment Studies, this isn’t wishful thinking it’s a practical strategy.
What would this actually look like in practice?
- Level the Playing Field: Ensure those aged 50-66 receive employment support that matches what we offer younger job seekers.
- Strategic Investment: Directly focused funding towards older workers who want to re-enter the workforce.
- Career Renaissance: Expand programmes like mid-life career review pilots that help people reimagine their professional journey.
- System Overhaul: Reform DWP policies ahead of the 2026 State Pension Age changes.
- Carer Support: Introduce paid carer’s leave because work-life integration isn’t just for parents of young children.
- Narrative Change: Launch campaigns that showcase what older workers actually bring to organisations, not what we assume they lack.
Confronting the Ageism Problem
Let’s be honest about what’s really happening here. Ageism isn’t subtle it’s systemic, and it’s costing us all. Inflexible working arrangements, limited development opportunities, and outright recruitment bias create invisible walls around older professionals. Dr Emily Andrews puts it starkly: we’ve not just stalled progress, we’ve gone backwards.
“The pandemic stalled two decades of improvement… and they have not recovered. If employment stagnates after 50, so too will the UK economy.”
You’ve probably seen this play out in your own organisation. Talented people with decades of experience are suddenly becoming “overqualified” or “not quite the right fit” for roles they could do in their sleep. It’s a waste none of us can afford.
The Demographics Don’t Lie
Here’s what your workforce planning models need to account for: by 2030, we’ll have 1.2 million more people aged 50-64 in the population, but only 500,000 more aged 15-29. This isn’t a trend you can strategy your way around—it’s the new reality. Building genuinely future-ready organisations means embracing the experience and perspective that comes with age.
Tony Wilson from the Institute for Employment Studies frames the urgency perfectly:
“Three-quarters of all employment growth this century has been among people over 50. Yet, in the last four years, this has come to a standstill.”
Where We Stand: The Uncomfortable Truth
Right now, the UK sits 20th in Europe for older workforce participation. For a country that talks constantly about innovation and fairness, that’s a sobering position.
The Centre’s research reveals exactly what we’re up against:
- 14-percentage-point gap between employment rates of 25-49 year olds and 50-64 year olds.
- Double the likelihood of long-term unemployment if you’re over 50.
- Just 1 in 10 older job seekers gets proper back-to-work support.
- Nearly 1 in 3 workers aged 50-70 who left jobs during the pandemic experienced age discrimination.
- More than 500,000 people aged 50-65 want to work but can’t find opportunities.
Caroline Abrahams from Age UK captures the moment we’re in:
“Never before has Britain needed its older workers as it does now.”
Time to Act, Not React
I’ve watched teams transform when they stop seeing diversity as a box-ticking exercise and start recognising it as a competitive advantage. The same principle applies here. We don’t need to reimagine our entire approach to work we need to acknowledge the talent that’s already available.
The 50+ Employment Commitment gives the next government a clear path forward. This isn’t just about economic recovery; it’s about creating workplaces where experience is valued, not discounted.
This comes down to more than policy implementation. It’s about fairness. It’s about recognising what people can contribute rather than focusing on assumptions about what they can’t. Most importantly, it’s about creating an environment where everyone has the chance to add value, learn new skills, and build meaningful careers regardless of when they were born.
The opportunity is there. The evidence is clear. Now we just need the courage to act on it.
