Information & advice

This page details sources of statistics and evidence on age‚ employment and training.   Some of these resources can be used to obtain customised statistical evidence to support age discrimination cases. 

General statistics on older people in work and learning

• About 900‚000 people over 50 are not in work and want to find jobs. If they were all in work this would add around £30 billion to the economy.
  (ONS. Labour Force Survey. Age Concern calculations 2006)

• About three fifths of people aged 50 to State Pension Age with a health condition that limits daily activity are out of work. Among those without qualifications the figure is nearly two thirds.
  (ONS. Labour Force Survey. 2006)

• 1.2 million people aged over 50 are receiving incapacity benefits‚ and each year 180‚000 make a new claim‚ of whom under half end their claim within a year.
  (Nomis. Benefit claimants working age client group. 2005.)

• 380‚000 employees over 65 are at risk of being forced to retire by their employers.  Estimates for the number of forced retirements range from 5‚000 to 25‚000 per year.
  (ONS. Labour Force Survey. 2006)

• Over the five years between 2000 and 2005 only 1% of people in their 40s achieved a level 2 qualification for the first time (equivalent to 5 good GCSEs).
  (NIACE and Age Concern‚ Learning in later life: A public spending challenge‚ 2006.)

 

Customised statistics on older people in work and learning

Some of the following resources can be used to obtain customised statistical data.  You should read the instructions on the individual websites on how to find the appropriate information.

Employment:

Office for National Statistics
Custom data – employment rates by age and gender‚ from Labour Force Survey (1971 to present day)

NOMIS
Custom data – employment rates by age and gender; economic activity rate by age and gender; employment status by age.
Use Wizard query (select ‘local area Labour Force Survey’ for 1999-2003 and ‘Annual population survey’ for 2004-2006)

TUC report ‘Ready‚ willing and able’‚ August 2006.
Published data – employment rates by age and gender; economic status by age and gender; international comparison of employment rates; employment rate and health status by age; percentage aged 50+ in different industries

Jobseeking:

Office for National Statistics
Published data – looking for full or part time work by age and gender‚ from Labour Force Survey

Age Concern England report ‘Not ready for the scrapheap: looking for work after 50’‚ November 2006
Research Report – looking for work

Exits from work:

Office for National Statistics
Published data – redundancy rates by age‚ from Labour Force Survey

TUC report ‘Ready‚ willing and able’‚ August 2006.
Further data on labour market exit age

Adult learning/qualifications:

NOMIS
Custom data – qualifications by age
Use Wizard query (select ‘local area Labour Force Survey’ for 1999-2003 and ‘Annual population survey’ for 2004-2006).

NIACE participation in learning factsheet‚ September 2006.
Published data – participation in learning by age

NIACE survey of adult learning 2006 (cost £9.95)
Published data – participation in learning; future intentions to learn (both available by age‚ and a number of other factors)

Pay:

Office for National Statistics
Published data – hourly‚ weekly and annual pay (gross‚ incentive‚ and overtime) by age; hours worked by age (Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2006)

TUC report ‘Ready‚ willing and able’‚ August 2006.
Published data – gross annual pay by age

Productivity and age:

Age Concern England research summary ‘The economy and older people’‚ February 2004.
Published data – paid and unpaid contributions of older people (including grandparenting‚ volunteering and caring).  Regional breakdowns provided.

DTI report ‘Retirement ages in the UK: A review of the literature’ Pamela Meadows‚ 2003.
Published data – the effect of age on productivity and capacity.

Regional breakdowns:

NOMIS
Custom data – employment rates; unemployment rates; economic activity/inactivity rates; employment status (all customisable for all UK/country/region/local authority)
Use Wizard query (select ‘local area Labour Force Survey’ for 1999-2003 and ‘Annual population survey’ for 2004-2006).

General interest:

Age Concern England fact booklet – ‘Older people in the UK 2007’.
Published data – general statistics on older people