There are now 1.4 million workers aged 65+ in the UK, up from 457,000 at the beginning of the century.

What’s behind the increase? 
Wealth is the key factor in determining whether people choose to stop working. One study in 2002 found that 20% of the poorest fifth, and 28% of the wealthiest fifth 55-64 year olds retired early. Jump forward to 2018, only 7% of the poorest fifth were retired compared to 24% of the wealthiest fifth in that same age group. 

What type of work are they doing?
Those 65+ are mostly self-employed or part time working, however an increasing number are carrying on in full-time employment because they simply don’t have the financial security to do otherwise.

What about people who want to stay in work?
Workers that have a wealth of knowledge to share may choose to stay in work as it suits their lifestyle and wellbeing. The key word here is choose. Others may choose to retire. But this choice is becoming increasingly the preserve of the wealthy.

Tell me more
Stonewall published their Ace in the UK report this week - a pioneering piece of research into the experiences of asexual people within healthcare, the workplace and general society. Ace refers to people that experience little to no sexual attraction.

What're the takeaways?
From the 2021 England and Wales Census, we know that 0.06% of the population entered 'asexual' in the 'other' box of sexual orientation. Within the LGBTQIA+ community, asexual people report lower life satisfaction, and are less likely to be open about their orientation in their personal or professional lives.
Specifically in the workplace, respondents report discomfort due to sexualised 'banter' and intrusive questions into sexual lives. In some situations, asexual people felt forced to disclose their identity. When they do come out at work, they are less likely than any other LGBTQIA+ identity to feel accepted, and more likely to experience inappropriate questions and bullying behaviour.

"It was always forced out of me because colleagues just insisted that they had to know. They would not stop."

Dubbed as the 'hidden health service', kids across the UK are becoming carers as young as five-years-old.

Why? This phenomenon is occurring due to family members with mental illness, physical ailment, disability or addiction, and a lack of long-term accessible healthcare and support. Children are picking up the slack by cleaning, cooking, and providing emotional support.

What's the impact? Adding the burden of caring responsibilities onto the shoulders of a school-aged kid is a lot. This can have a huge impact on both school and social lives, though these kids often suffer in silence.

THIS WEEK WE'RE LOVING ✨

💊 Medical breakthroughs on the horizon
🎧 The Serial podcast is back!
🍿 Jordan Peele on Black horror