"Health is becoming a growing fault line in the UK’s workforce, with sickness and disability continuing to keep large numbers of older workers on the sidelines."
- Emily Jones - Broadstone
Sickness and disability continue to be the driving forces behind economic inactivity among older workers, according to the latest DWP statistics on the economic labour market status of individuals aged 50 and over.
43.8% of economically inactive people aged between 50 and 64 gave sickness, injury or disability as the primary reason for leaving the workforce.
In 2026, around 585,000 people aged 50 to 64 years were economically inactive but were willing or wanted to return to work, an increase of around 13,000 people since 2025.
Of those 585,000, 62.2% gave their reason for not looking for work as being sick, injured or disabled, a decrease of 3.9 percentage points from 2025. 15.8% cited looking after home or family, and 21.9% gave other reasons.
The economic inactivity rate in 2026 for those aged 50 to 64 continues to remain slightly higher than the pre-pandemic rate of 25.5% in 2019. However, the rate has decreased by 0.4 percentage points in the last year, from 26.1% in 2025 to 25.7% in 2026.
The economic inactivity rate for women aged 50 to 64 remains statistically higher, at 29% in 2026, when compared to men of the same age at 22.2%.
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"Health is becoming a growing fault line in the UK’s workforce, with sickness and disability continuing to keep large numbers of older workers on the sidelines," Emily Jones, head of workplace wellbeing at Broadstone, said.
"While economic inactivity among 50–64-year-olds has edged down over the past year, the underlying picture remains concerning. More than two-fifths of economically inactive people in this age group cite being sick, injured or disabled as their main reason for being out of work. And with over half a million 50- to 64-year-olds saying they would like to work, there is clearly a pool of experienced talent that businesses cannot afford to overlook.
"People are more likely to develop serious, long-term health conditions as they age, and the pandemic and ongoing pressures on the NHS have only compounded the problem, with people struggling to access the care they need to diagnose and treat conditions before they worsen.
"That is why we are seeing growing interest in private healthcare and preventative services. Digital and on-site GPs, health screenings and generous PMI schemes enable faster access to treatment and can provide an important first line of defence, helping people catch problems early rather than waiting until they become serious enough to force them out of work.
"For employers, supporting the health of an ageing workforce is becoming increasingly important. Older workers bring valuable skills and experience, and helping people stay healthy and in work for longer can support both workforce resilience and retention at a time when many businesses are already facing skills shortages."
