In the United Kingdom (UK) and many parts of the world, there is still a significant age employment gap, and while some employers already recognise the importance of retaining an older workforce, many don’t.

Access to good quality, paid work throughout the life course brings a host of benefits for communities and individuals. For those who can, and choose to work longer, in addition to financial benefits, it can provide social interaction, meaning and purpose, and help people stay active.

We will share findings from our UK report Fulfilling work: what do older workers value about work and why? and new research we have commissioned exploring how employer behaviour relates to three important aspects of age at work: facilitating and supporting flexible working, preventing age bias in recruitment and maximising the benefits of mixed-age teams.

We will also include insights from our research into the challenges faced by people aged 50 and over who are not in work and ways of supporting over 50s back towards the labour market. This research focused on five local neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester in England as part of their work to become the UK’s first Age-friendly city region.