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What Millions of Brits look Forward To!

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  • What Millions of Brits look Forward To!

    In today's Daily Mail:

    Over 50 and on the scrapheap: As recession bites, a record rise in older workers condemned to long-term unemployment
    By Sean Poulter
    Last updated at 8:00 AM on 11th August 2010
    Comments (85) Add to My Stories
    The recession has created a generation of over-50s who are condemned to long- term unemployment, disturbing new figures revealed last night.
    The number of older workers trapped in a spiral of joblessness has soared by more than 50 per cent in a year to the highest figure in a decade.
    A total of 170,000 job-seekers over 50 have been out of work for at least 12 months, according to research for the charity Age UK, which warned of a ‘devastating legacy of unemployment’.

    Dole: Queues increasingly include workers over 50 as 170,000 are now jobless
    Older workers have been the biggest victims of a recession panic that saw businesses slash costs by getting rid of long-serving and, most significantly, more expensive staff.
    The 170,000 total is up by around 57,000 in a year, creating a legion of would-be workers who will struggle to find a full-time job ever again and can expect the coming decades to be characterised by a battle to cover essential bills.
    The figures renewed claims of widespread prejudice against older workers, who are unfairly seen as slow and unable to keep up with new technology.
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    The revelations also make a mockery of Government pledges to abolish the official retirement age and allow people to work on into their 70s.
    For the reality is that the jobs do not exist for older workers to take up, even if they wanted to continue working following a lifetime of toil.
    Age UK’s director, Michelle Mitchell, said: ‘This is the highest level of long-term unemployment among over-50s that we have seen in a decade and brings back the spectre of the last two recessions, which left a devastating legacy of unemployment among people in later life.
    ‘If hundreds of thousands of 50-plus workers remain stuck in long-term unemployment, the Government’s plans to “reinvigorate” retirement and extend working lives will remain a hollow sound bite for many people.
    Struggle: The unemployment rate for older workers has risen 50% in a year (file photo)

    ‘Before pushing people back into the recruitment arena or forcing them to work for longer, the Government must lay the foundations of a better job market for older people, with fairness and flexibility as cornerstones.’
    Age UK said the figures would become worse because a predicted 750,000 older people are to be switched to the unemployment category after having their Incapacity Benefits removed under a tougher, cost-cutting regime.
    Much of the focus of Government economic policy is based on a concern for thousands of young graduates who will struggle to find a job in the coming months. However, older people who want to work appear to have been sidelined.
    Age UK said the number of older people out of work for more than a year is up by 52 per cent compared with this time last year.

    This compares with a rise across all age groups of less than 45 per cent.
    The 170,000 older workers who are long-term unemployed account for some 21.6 per cent of the total for all age groups of 787,000.
    Of the job-seekers over 50 who are out of work, some 43.7 per cent have not had a job for more than a year. By contrast, only 35.1 per cent of the unemployed aged 25-49 have not had a job for more than a year, while the figure for those aged 18-24 is even lower, at 26.6 per cent.
    Men make up more than three-quarters of the total of over-50s who have been out of a job for more than a year.
    However, the number of older women considered long-term unemployed has still risen by a third.
    The problems facing older people are expected to be confirmed today with the publication of the latest unemployment figures.
    Total unemployment stood at 2.47million in the three months to May, while the number claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance was 1.46million.
    All the figures appear to be at odds with the Coalition Government’s rosy picture of the future, where older people continue working for as long as they like.
    Recently, the Employment Relations Minister Ed Davey said: ‘With more and more people wanting to extend their working lives, we should not stop them just because they have reached a particular age.
    ‘We want to give individuals greater choice and are moving swiftly to end discrimination of this kind.
    ‘Older workers bring with them a wealth of talent and experience as employees and entrepreneurs. They have a vital contribution to make to our economic recovery and long-term prosperity.’
    However, employer groups have taken a different, hard-headed tack.
    Manufacturers’ organisation the EEF is worried companies will be forced to retain older workers who are no longer considered competent.
    It predicts a big rise in age discrimination cases at employment tribunals.

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz0wHVSt9u1
    __________________________________________________ __________________


    I am seriously considering trying to start my own employment agency for 50+ people. I am only two years from the 50 mark and already suffering from age discrimination. Employers get away with it by using other excuses.

    I wish I knew how to start such an agency and where to get funding. I wonder if this may qualify for some lotto grant money?
    Last edited by Kelly d; 11 August 2010, 02:56. Reason: deleted adds
    kellyd:redrose:

  • #2
    Re: What Millions of Brits look Forward To!

    Originally posted by Kelly d View Post
    In today's Daily Mail:

    I wish I knew how to start such an agency and where to get funding. I wonder if this may qualify for some lotto grant money?
    I doubt that you would get Lottery funding for this... But you can only know by trying to apply. Hope you have lots of contacts that are needed for this type of work...

    Sandy

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: What Millions of Brits look Forward To!

      I suspect this is not only a UK issue and would certainly be interesting to see figures from other countries.

      I know in North America there have been discussions on people not able to retire as their pensions have fallen to a point where they need at least a part time job just to make ends meet.

      As it happens I got a letter in from one of my two pension companies saying I'm now within 6 months of retirement (60) and it's time to decide what I want to do. This is not a large pension by any means as it was taken out when I ran my computer dealership and so only ran for a few years. Seems to be enough to get me a few thousand of a lump sum and then likely enough to pay for the monthly lease of a car.

      The other pension which kicks in in 5 years time would be just enough to give me a very basic living.

      All of that said my Electric Scotland business was designed to give me a decent retirement living when I got to that age (65). In theory I would still work at it simply because I enjoy it but I could stop doing daily updates and just do them when I felt like it.

      There are ways of earning some money from the web and if you're not able to get a job then you could start to build a web site around something you are interested in. It does take a lot of work to make a reasonable living but a lot of people could make some money by working at it. It's not that difficult to make an extra couple of hundred a month and sometimes that's all you need to bridge the gap.

      Alastair

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: What Millions of Brits look Forward To!

        Thanks Sandy and Alllie,

        I have talked to lots of people my age and too young to retire, they have basically the same trouble I have. Hartlepool is close enough to Sunderland, Middlesborough, Gateshead, Durham and even Newcastle upon Tyne for transportation needs. I would have to work from the internet but need a place to interview candidates as well as client contacts.

        I will finish this St Hilda story then throw a questionnaire together to find out if employers would hire this age group and what they would require.

        Employers are so afraid of the new Health and Safety requirements to the point of paranoia which may hinder such an adventure.
        kellyd:redrose:

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