Age and Employment Information

For the full law on Age discrimination - Full law from ACAS

From Employers forum on Age - Facts about Age in the work force

Key Facts

"It’s easier to ignore the facts than to change the preconceptions" - Jessamyn West - Author

Discrimination because of age covers four areas:

1. direct discrimination: treating someone less favourably because of their actual or perceived age, or because of the age of someone with whom they associate. This treatment can only be justified if it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim
2. indirect discrimination: can occur where there is a policy, practice or procedure which applies to all workers, but particularly disadvantages people of a particular age. For example, a requirement for job applicants to have worked in a particular industry for ten years may disadvantage younger people. Indirect discrimination can only be justified if it is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim
3. harassment: when unwanted conduct related to age has the purpose or effect of violating an individual's dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that individual
4. victimisation: unfair treatment of an employee who has made or supported a complaint about age discrimination

Unemployment 

• There are currently 384,000 unemployed over 50s in the UK, 4.5% of the • total over 50 population, (Nov 2010) 
• This is lower than at the same point last year, 4.7% in November 2009
• However, it is higher than in 2008 when the unemployment rate for •over 50s was 3.6%
• The rate of unemployed over 50s for men is slightly higher than for women, 5.6% compared to 3.1%

Redundancy 

• In 2010, 26.53% of the UK’s redundancies have been aged over 50 
• This is at its highest point in the last 10 years • The redundancy rate in the public sector was much higher than the national average, with 66% of all redundancies in County councils and 57% of redundancies in London Borough councils being over 50.

Reemployment 

•  In 2010, 16.59% of over 50s found reemployment • This is up 0.21% on the previous year 
•  However, this increase is significantly lower than the increase in jobs vacancies between 2009-2010, 3.75% Sickness/Absence 
• 50-64 and 64+ years olds are absent less often than their younger counterparts, absence rate of 2.4% and 1.9% respectively, compared to the national average of 2.5%.

Pay 

• 50-59 year olds earn on average less per year than 30-39 and 40-49 year •olds; £28,356 compared to £29,004 and £30,443 respectively. Over 60s earn on average £20,895 per year

Training 

• 24% of 50-59 year olds and 13% of 60+ year olds took part in some form of training last year. This is lower than other age groups.

More facts

• For the full list of Age and Employment statistics click here.