UK labour supply inquiry: why have more over 50s become economically inactive since the start of the pandemic?
Wednesday 12 October 2022
On Thursday 13 October the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee will be taking evidence from two panels of witnesses as part of its inquiry on the UK’s labour supply.
At 10am the committee will hear from:
- Kate Shoesmith, Deputy CEO, Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC)
- Lauren Thomas, Europe and Middle Eastern Area Economist and Data Scientist, Glassdoor.
At 11am the committee will hear from:
- Hannah Slaughter, Senior Economist, Resolution Foundation
- Ian Stewart, Partner and Chief Economist, Deloitte.
The meeting will be held in Committee Room 4 of the House of Lords. It will also be streamed live on Parliament TV.
Topics the committee is likely to cover in these sessions include:
- Reliability of labour market data.
- Recent changes in the UK’s labour supply compared with those in other developed countries.
- Why the number of vacancies has increased so much.
- The short-term and long-term effects of the pandemic on labour supply trends.
- Why more young people aged 16-24 have become economically inactive.
More about this inquiry
Vacancies are still at record levels and above pre-pandemic levels in all industries. The committee is seeking to understand the main causes of the reduction in the size of the labour force, and it will explore data on the types of people who have left the labour market.
The committee is also interested in what differences exist between labour market trends in the UK compared with those in other developed countries.
The committee’s work can be followed on its website and via Twitter.
