Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD

Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just

$149.99
 
$74.99/Year

Try GOLD - Free

An unemployment tsunami is heading for older workers

The Independent

|

October 16, 2025

The latest labour market data from the Office for National Statistics delivered a familiar array of nasties: unemployment up, vacancies down.

- JAMES MOORE

An unemployment tsunami is heading for older workers

As ever, it is those most vulnerable to the axe, and the lack of opportunities in the aftermath of said axe falling, who suffer the most when the labour market “tightens”. A “tightening” labour market is economist speak for when it gets colder than the ready meal left in the freezer for the last three years for those looking for work.

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), meanwhile, show this delivering a hard slap to older workers. The employment rate among people aged 50 to 64 years stands at 71.6 per cent, which is still below its pre-pandemic level. The employment rate gap between people aged 35 to 49 years and those aged 50 to 64 years stands at 14.1 per cent, little changed over the last year but uncomfortably high nonetheless. Here’s the real stinger: the unemployment rate for those aged 50 to 64 has increased from 2.4 per cent to 3.1 per cent in the last year.

Who are these people? I suspect a significant number of them have become so disheartened by the state of the labour market that they’ve given up seeking work. What are their lives like? It’s enough to make you shudder.

MORE STORIES FROM The Independent

The Independent

The Independent

Wiggins details abuse and drug addiction in new book

Bradley Wiggins first publicly revealed he was sexually abused as a child almost by accident during an interview with Alastair Campbell for Men's Health in 2022.

time to read

3 mins

October 22, 2025

The Independent

The Independent

Gunners pummel Atletico with 13-minute goal rush

It may not be Arsenal’s most celebrated win over a club from the Spanish capital in 2025 but there was something seismic, something spectacular about it nonetheless.

time to read

3 mins

October 22, 2025

The Independent

The Independent

Coben's latest is daft but embarrassingly compelling

Harlan Coben's new Prime Video series, 'Lazarus', stretches viewers' credulity as it ventures into the supernatural, but it's just as moreish as his past efforts

time to read

2 mins

October 22, 2025

The Independent

LOWERING THE BAR

Penguin and Club bars are no longer legally chocolate - and they're not the only ones. Hannah Twiggs investigates how quiet recipe tweaks have changed Britain's favourite treats

time to read

4 mins

October 22, 2025

The Independent

The Independent

Work colleagues don't want to see your 'authentic self'

Of all the naff corporate concepts dressed up as liberation, authenticity is up there as the worst. So I'm not surprised to hear that even Nick Clegg can't take any more of it.

time to read

3 mins

October 22, 2025

The Independent

The Independent

Plans for Trump and Putin to meet in Budapest shelved

The White House is walking back President Donald Trump's plan for talks on ending the three-year-old Russian war against Ukraine just days after he claimed he would meet with Vladimir Putin in Budapest next month.

time to read

2 mins

October 22, 2025

The Independent

The Independent

REALITY BITES

Getting an NHS dentist has never been harder, with private procedures often costing thousands. As costs soar, many are now living in pain and with lost teeth

time to read

6 mins

October 22, 2025

The Independent

The Independent

This tiny magnet might just curb your phone addiction

Heavy phone user Annabel Nugent puts the Brick to the test

time to read

4 mins

October 22, 2025

The Independent

The Independent

Japan PM is a Thatcher fan who wants to be 'Iron Lady'

Hardline conservative Sanae Takaichi was chosen as Japan's first female prime minister yesterday, shattering the political glass ceiling and setting the country up for a decisive turn to the right.

time to read

3 mins

October 22, 2025

The Independent

The Independent

Andrew could tarnish his late mother's reputation

The Prince Andrew scandal has spread its tendrils in every conceivable direction.

time to read

3 mins

October 22, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size