Returning to the workplace – the motivations and barriers for people aged 50 years and over, Great Britain: August 2022
- Date Published
- Dec 2022
- Publisher(s)
- Office For National Statistics
- Document Type
- Report
- More Info
- https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peoplenotinwork/economicinactivity/articles/returningtotheworkplacethemotivationsandbarriersforpeopleaged50yearsandovergreatbritain/august2022
- Themes
- COVID-19 Recovery, Economic Impact, Health & Wellbeing*, Workplace Health
- Sub Themes
- Mental Health, Physical Health
- Geographic Area
- National
- Lifestages
- Older Adults
This article analyses people aged 50 to 65 years who left or lost their job since the start of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and would consider returning in the future. We found that:
- Those considering returning were on average younger: of those considering returning, 61% were aged 50 to 59 years; of those not considering returning, 33% were aged 50 to 59 years.
- Nearly a quarter (24%) of adults reported they had retired from their previous job, although only 6% of those aged 50 to 54 years reported this; stress (21%) was the most common reason for this younger age group.
- Those considering returning were less likely to be able to afford an unexpected but necessary expense (61%), or own their house outright (57%) than those not considering returning (77% and 78%, respectively).
- Of those with a physical or mental health condition or illness, the most common reasons for considering returning to work were for the money (67%), for social company or a job they would enjoy (46%), and to improve their mental health (42%).
- Those who felt they had the skills needed to get a new job were more likely to report retiring or not wanting to work anymore; those who did not were more likely to select a health reason for leaving paid work.
- Money was an important motivation to return for all age groups, but particularly for the younger cohort aged 50 to 54 years (69%), those who felt like they do not have the skills to get a job (68%) or who were paying off a loan or mortgage (68%).
Of adults aged 50 to 65 years who have left their previous job since the pandemic but have already returned to work:
- They were more likely to have left their previous job because of factors out of their control, for example they were made redundant (33%), left because of the coronavirus pandemic (26%), or lost their job (17%)
