Patrick Thomson, Senior Programme Manager, asks some questions such as what do older workers need, what is their value to employers and why does fulfilling work in later life matter?

1. Good work for all ages:
How fulfilling work can support a good later life
Patrick Thomson
December 2017

2. Why good work matters for later life

3. Health Financial
security
Social
connections
Work interrelates with all these factors:
• Better health allows for longer working life (but working longer doesn’t necessarily
make you healthier…)
• Save more and delay retirement
• Social connections, meaning and purpose
But all of these are dependent on the quality of work
Later Life in 2015 survey of those aged 50+ (Centre for Ageing Better, Ipsos MORI 2015)
What makes for a good later life?

4. 4
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
I miss having something to do
I miss having structure to my week
I miss earning money
I miss the feeling that I'm doing something useful
I miss the income
I miss the social interaction
I don't miss anything
Later Life in 2015 survey of those aged 50+ (Centre for Ageing Better, Ipsos MORI 2015)
What do retired people miss about work?

5. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
I need to earn
money
I think I'm too young
to stop
I enjoy the work I do
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Felt ready to retire I reached state
pension age
Onset or
development of ill
health/disability
AB C1 C2 DE
Those retired: ‘What are the main reasons why you
retired when you did?’
Those working: ‘What is the main reason you are
not yet retired?’
Later Life in 2015 survey of those aged 50+ (Centre for Ageing Better, Ipsos MORI 2015)
Inequalities in work and retirement

6. Labour market for older workers

7. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69
Employment rate by age
Age
Working longer? • Nearly 10m working over age of 50
• Over 1.1m working over 65
• Since 2008: higher employment % for those aged 50-64 than 18-24
State Pension age
2020
2028
2039
Rising

8. Source: Family Resource Survey 2014-15
Peak age for caring
Proportion of adult population with informal caring responsibilities, by age and gender

9. Those who are out of work face multiple barriers to return
Source: Learning & Work Institute calculations based on DWP: Information, Governance and Security Directorate
Work Programme job outcomes as a proportion of referrals by participant characteristics (2011-2016)

10. Job security

11. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
All 18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64
Self-reported job security at work, by age (2005)
2005
Perception of job security by age
Source: British Social Attitudes Survey

12. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
All 18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64
Self-reported job security at work, by age (2005 & 2015)
2005 2015
Perception of job security by age
Source: British Social Attitudes Survey

13. Restructuring more likely and greater impact for older workers

14. Good work: fulfilling, age-inclusive

15. High demand
Low demand
Low
control
High
control


What do we mean by fulfilling work?

16. 16
What do older workers need?
The same as everybody else!
Meaning, autonomy and control, recognition
Social contact with colleagues and customers / clients
Equal opportunities for progression and development
Flexibility in where and how as well as when they work
Support to manage their health at work
Fulfilling Work – What do older workers value about work and why?
Centre for Ageing Better and Institute for Employment Studies, 2017

17. 17
The value to employers
Evidence suggests that older workers:
Perform as well as younger workers
Welcome the opportunity to learn new skills
Are often better at negotiation and resolving inter-personal
problems
Report higher engagement and loyalty to their employer
Fulfilling Work – What do older workers value about work and why?
Centre for Ageing Better and Institute for Employment Studies, 2017

18. Summary

19. 19
Why does fulfilling work in later life matter?
We’re living longer and working longer
More people than ever before are working into their late
50s, 60s and beyond
The number of older workers is continuing to grow
Work needs to catch up
Work needs to be better, so that working longer is also
working better
Work should help us maintain our health and prepare for a
good later life

20. Centre for Ageing Better
Angel Building, Level 3
407 St John Street, London, EC1V 4AD
020 3829 0113
www.ageing-better.org.uk
Registered Company Number: 8838490 & Charity Registration Number: 1160741
Questions