Economics & Finance / Macroeconomics / Unemployment & Labor Markets

Can You Really Work Longer? The Shocking Truth About UK Seniors' Health

James Banks, Carl Emmerson, Gemma Tetlow

Think your health is the main reason you can't work past 55? Think again. This video dives into groundbreaking research from the UK, revealing that older adults have far more capacity to work than we assume. Based on a study by James Banks, Carl Emmerson, and Gemma Tetlow, we explore two methods to measure health capacity and uncover a startling fact: the recent rise in employment among 55-74 year olds is outpacing what health improvements alone can explain. If policy makers want to boost employment, they need to look beyond health—to issues like job discrimination and caregiving duties. Watch to discover why your health isn't the barrier you think it is, and what really holds back older workers from staying in the workforce.