The exodus of older and more experienced workers from the labour market seems to be a peculiarly British problem. Most other rich countries have seen their workforces rebound as they emerge from the pandemic
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskMs Pugh, who is now 62, is one of hundreds of thousands of British workers who have left the labour market in recent years. This exodus seems to be a peculiarly British problem; most other rich countries have seen their workforces rebound as they emerge from the pandemic . The trend is particularly pronounced among. That is unwelcome news for policymakers: a smaller workforce means lower tax revenues and more pressure on inflation.
But if illness were forcing lots of people out of the workforce, it is hard to see why that might be. Some point the finger at covid-19 itself. Yet one survey of 50- to 64-year-olds suggests that long covid accounts for at most 1% of labour-force departures since the pandemic began. A more plausible theory is that the backlogs in the National Health Service are to blame. Sprawlingwaiting lists, which between February 2020 and August 2022 grew from around 4.