The North East has the lowest proportion of older people in work in the 海角视频, hitting the region鈥檚 economy, according to a new study.
The research by the Centre for Ageing Better found 鈥渟ignificant regional variations鈥 in the employment of people over the age of 50, with the biggest gap between younger and older people in jobs being found in the North East.
According to the study, the North East had the lowest employment rate for people aged 50 to 64 at 62.5%, well behind the 82.3% employment rate of 35 to 49-year-olds. The region also had one of the highest rates of older people being unemployed due to ill health.
The report also highlighted an employability gap for older people with disabilities, with disabled people in the North East twice as likely to be out of work as non-disabled people after the age of 50.
The Centre for Ageing Better said that nearly half a million people aged 50 to 65 with long-term health conditions could return to the workforce if the right support were in place, particularly in areas like the North East.
And it warned that pensioners were more likely to fall into poverty if they had been out of work after passing the age of 50.
Dr Carole Easton, chief executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: 鈥淲here you live has such a strong bearing on opportunities in life in this country, and that is certainly true if you are looking for work in your 50s and 60s. The odds are already unfairly stacked against older workers in an ageist labour market but that can be significantly compounded by the local labour market you are trying to find employment in.
鈥淲hen these regional inequalities combine with other factors such as poverty, poor health, or disability then the odds are really stacked against many people finding work in their 50s and 60s. The result is a detrimental impact on individuals鈥 mental health and wellbeing, their finances and their ability to save for retirement.鈥
A Government spokesperson said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e already taking action to drive down economic inactivity with our plan to get Britain working, with local work, health, and skills plans, and new powers for mayors and local areas to support more people back into work. It鈥檚 part of our Plan for Change which will boost living standards by creating more jobs, making work pay, and transforming skills, as we work to deliver our ambition to reach an 80% employment rate.鈥
