New data from the ONS this morning shows the impact of long-term sickness on economic inactivity, particularly among older workers.
 
The analysis shows that over the period from 2019 to 2022, economic inactivity because of long-term sickness or disability increased by 462,000 people, which is considerably more than the 41,000 increase that might be expected due to the changing age-composition of the population.
 
This increase in economic inactivity also coincides with a bulge in population nearing retirement age, driving concerns that the combination of an ageing workforce and a growing health crisis could see more economic inactivity rates climb even higher Brett Hill, Head of Health & Protection at leading independent consultancy Broadstone.
 
“Employers need to be aware of the extent to which sickness and ill health are driving economic inactivity, accounting for over 350,000 since the start of the pandemic and a total of nearly 2.5 million. Amid a fierce battle for talent, losing existing employees because of health issues is already a huge problem many employers are combatting.
 
“With an ageing workforce and a growing backlog in the NHS these issues are only likely to become more prevalent, with an increasing number of older workers nearing retirement who are at greater risk of the most common health problems driving people out of employment like musculoskeletal issues and, increasingly, cancer.
 
“It is why we are seeing a notable uptick in demand from employers for private healthcare options for their workforce, as well as expanding coverage throughout their employees. Proactive employee wellbeing strategies combined with expanded healthcare coverage will help avoid health issues driving even more employees out of the workforce.”