'NETER crisis' | One in five over-50s locked out of work as campaigners demand government action

People aged between 50 and state pension age are more likely to be outside education, employment, training or retirement than young people are to be classed as NEET, prompting calls for the Government to give both employment crises equal priority.

More than one in five people in this older age group, equivalent to 21%, are currently not in education, employment, training or retirement. By comparison, 13% of 16 to 24-year-olds are considered not in education, employment or training (NEET).

The Centre for Ageing Better has introduced the term NETER (not in education, training, employment or retirement) to describe the older group, which includes people seeking work as well as those unable to work because of long-term health conditions or caring responsibilities.

Its first NETER measure stands at 2.9 million people for 2025.