The over 65s have seen the biggest percentage drop in the average number of hours worked than any other age group, according to new analysis from Rest Less, a jobs and community site for the over 50s.
Rest Less analysed bespoke data from the Office of National Statistics to show that the average number of hours worked by over 65s in employment fell from 20.2 between January and March this year to 16.1 between March and May – a drop of 20.3%.
18-24 year olds were very close behind with a 20.2% fall in the number of hours worked from 28.2 hours per person between January and March this year to 22.5 between March and May.
The number of hours worked is generally seen as a truer measure of the impact of Covid on employment patterns, providing insight into shielders, self-isolators and those who have been put on furlough.
Stuart Lewis, Founder of Rest Less, commented: “There are many older workers who must continue to work to make ends meet. All age groups have seen a drop in the average number of hours worked in the last three months but data shows that the over 65s are the most impacted group, likely due to the number of people in this age group who have had to shield or self-isolate.
‘We support Age UK’s call on the government to protect shielders with a furlough-esque scheme to ensure that older workers have some level of job protection. Without it, many are likely to face financial hardship, forced into an early retirement they simply cannot afford.”
Notes to Editors
Data is based on bespoke figures from the Office of National Statistics Labour Market overview, issued to Rest Less in July 2020.
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About Rest Less
Rest Less (restless.co.uk) launched in December 2018 and is a membership community for the over 50s designed to help its members get more out of life. Rest Less has thousands of jobs available on its site from progressive age-friendly employers across the country. Rest Less is the leading site in the UK to offer flexible opportunities to work, volunteer or even start a new career path, specifically targeting the rapidly growing over 50s market.