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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Guardian community team

People in the UK in their 50s and 60s: if you’re working less now, what are you doing instead?

Fewer Britons in their 50s and 60s have returned to economic activity than people from other age groups in the UK.
Fewer Britons in their 50s and 60s have returned to economic activity than people from other age groups in the UK. Photograph: Anthony Fomin/Unsplash

We’d like to hear from people in the UK in their 50s and 60s who have recently decided to work less or leave the workforce altogether why they have made this decision, and what they are doing instead.

The economic inactivity rate for people aged 50 to 64 years has increased slightly, from 27.1% between October and December last year to 27.2% between January and March 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The UK’s overall decrease in economic inactivity between January and March 2023 was largely driven by people aged 16 to 24 years, according to new ONS data.

Between October to December 2022 and January to March 2023, there has been a record high net flow out of economic inactivity, while the number of people inactive because of long-term sickness increased to a record high.

We’re interested to hear how people in their 50s and 60s in the UK whose economic activity has decreased are spending their time now.

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