The Budget, older workers and productivity

Yesterday’s Budget was controversial, as much for what it left out as for what it gave away. The NHS, care and housing had all queued up and were left wanting more. But probably the biggest problem issue of the Budget came from the problem of flat-lining productivity. Do older workers have a contribution to make here? Flat-lining productivity The Budget Statement states that ‘The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) now expects to see slower GDP growth over the forecast period, mainly reflecting a change in its forecast for productivity growth. It has revised down its forecast for GDP growth by 0.5 percentage points to...

Work after 50 and the Goldilocks phenomenon – the search for ‘just right’ work

I bumped into an acquaintance today who told me that he has just stepped away from his highly senior, highly paid City job. His story made me think that, after 50, we can find work ‘too hot’ or ‘too cold’, but struggle to find work which is ‘just right’ – a Goldilocks phenomenon. Stories of work after 50 Just into his 50s, my acquaintance had found that what initially looked like a golden opportunity had rapidly turned sour – ultra-long hours, heavy travel needs, invasion of vacation time. Friends and colleagues cautioned that this stage in a career was the...