PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
State Retirement Pensions: Females (6 July 2017)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women born in the 1950s and affected by the change in the state pension age have been able to return to employment from a position of unemployment.

Asked by:
Rachael Maskell (Labour)

The number of older workers in the UK is at a record high, currently standing at 9.9m workers aged 50 years and over. 4.2m women aged 50-64 are in employment; this compares to 3.5m five years ago. There are 1.2 million individuals in employment aged over 65, of which 39% are women.

Employment rates for older workers have also been increasing and recently reached record highs. Since ten years ago, the employment rate has increased by 6.0 percentage points (pp) (from 65.0% to 71.0%) for people aged 50-64. The current employment rate for women aged 50-64 is at a record high of 66.4%.

Further information on estimates of employment, unemployment, economic inactivity and other employment-related statistics for the UK can be found in the “UK labour market: July 2017” statistical bulletin published at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/bulletins/uklabourmarket/july2017

The Government is committed to supporting people aged 50 years and over to remain in and return to work; the ‘Fuller Working Lives: A Partnership Approach’ strategy was published on 2nd February. This, crucially, is led by employers, but it also sets out the case for action by individuals, and the role of Government in supporting them in planning their careers and their approach to retirement. The Strategy and supporting evidence base are available at the attached web address:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fuller-working-lives-a-partnership-approach

Answered by:
Guy Opperman (Conservative)
14 July 2017