Wednesday, December 15, 2010

OVER-50S UNEMPLOYMENT: WORRYING TREND SAYS DR ROS ALTMANN.

DR ROS ALTMANN
DIRECTOR GENERAL, SAGA
SAGA SOUNDBITE


December 15, 2010.

OVER-50S UNEMPLOYMENT: WORRYING TREND SAYS DR ROS ALTMANN.

Commenting on the today’s unemployment figures, Dr Ros Altmann, economist and Director General of Saga, said:

“If you drill into these figures there are some very worrying statistics for the over-50s, especially women - who will find it very difficult to get back into work.

“The figures tell a very bleak tale: if you’re over 50 and put out of work, then you’re going to be out of work for a very long time. But if the government is seriously thinking about raising the pension age, then it should be mindful that the unemployment rate for people over-50s is rising sharply – with long-term job prospects getting worse and worse. And women are suffering far more than men.

“There is an increase is those over-50s who are unemployed for a year or more of 42.6%, while those unemployed for two years or more is up 25.9%. Breaking that down into men and women – men unemployed for a year or more is up 35.7%, women up 65.5%, and for two years it is 17.6% and 53.7 % respectively.”


Ends

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