The labour market statistics issued today show that the number of over-50s who have been unemployed for more than 12 months rose by 20,000 to 143,000 in the December – February quarter, up 16.9 per cent on the previous quarter and 34.2 per cent on the year.

Chris Ball, Chief Executive of TAEN, says: “Older workers, particularly older men, have been through a great deal of pain during this recession, but while these figures show slow, steady improvement overall, there is a continuing problem of long-term unemployment among the over-50s.

“For older workers unlucky enough to lose their present jobs, finding work could be so difficult that job loss could spell the end of their working lives altogether. And this is at a time when pensions and savings are under pressure and older people increasingly want and need to work.

“Unemployed older people need the next government to take steps to ensure that jobs are available for them and that they still have opportunities to progress in their careers and build their skills.

“The slow increase in the employment of older people is a positive sign but we know it could be easily halted if there are major job losses in the public sector which might disproportionately hurt them.

“The main parties’ manifestos all indicate they would scrap the Default Retirement Age of 65, which is welcome, but they are thin on details as to how they would help older workers to continue to contribute their skills, energy and enthusiasm to the UK economy.”