Older workers 'may underestimate the struggle to get back into work'

When deciding whether or not to accept lucrative redundancy deals, older workers should consider their long-term prospects, it has been suggested.

New research by Recruitment Genius has revealed that 55.8 per cent of over 50s who have contacted the organisation reported being made redundant.

This is more than double the number in any other age category. More than a quarter of those aged older than 50 struggled to find a job, leaving them unemployed for over 12 months.

Rachel Krys, campaign director for the Employers Forum on Age, said there is "more incentive" for older workers to take redundancy but they are also seen as a "target group".

"If you're over 50, even today with age discrimination legislation being in place, you are much less likely to get another job than if you're under 50," she said.

"Individuals may be making a short-term decision and don't realise how difficult it is to get [back] into the [job] market," Ms Krys added.