ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the factors that have influenced the well-documented decline in the participation of older workers in the United Kingdom (UK) labour market and how policy making has responded to the new imperatives brought into focus by demographic ageing. Since the 1970s economic and structural changes linked to worldwide shifts towards liberal economic thinking have had a real effect upon traditional industries such as manufacturing, mining and construction, and on the ability of older people to sustain their position in the labour force. Demographic shifts in the UK have changed the age composition of the workforce, with the result that there has been a steep increase in the number of people of pensionable age compared with those of working age. A notable feature of employment among older workers is their rate of self-employment, which tends to be higher than for other age groups. Health considerations often play a major role in retirement behaviour.
