The pandemic has hammered the job prospects of older workers. We got a measure of how hard in the latest from the UK's official recordkeeper, the Office for National Statistics. Vacancies are at a record high. There are more than 1.2 million job openings. But alongside that unprecedented demand, economic inactivity appears to be rising. Fewer older people are working; 180,000 fewer than before COVID hit.  There are nearly as many vacancies as there are jobless of all ages. Employers are facing the tightest jobs market in at least 50 years. It's a taste of the demographic crunch I spoke about in my episode with Bradley Schurman if action isn't taken to retain or hire older people who want and need to work. A timely trip to The Big Middle archives now from  the summer of 2019. We hear about London restaurateur Jeremy King's trailblazing effort to attract older workers to the restaurant trade. Top gent who appreciates the soft skills older employees bring to his top tables. LinksArticle on ONS figures from People Management: Employers warned to expect challenges as vacancies reach another record highCorbin & King websiteArticle in The Caterer: “Old dog, new tricks: why you should employ older workers”Article in The Telegraph: “Over 50s make just as good waiters and bar staff as hip millennials, says Wolseley boss”Piece on Jeremy on +50s jobs and advice site Rest Less UKCorbin & King on TwitterPhoto of Jeremy by David LoftusFollow The Big MiddleWebsite I Twitter I  Instagram I YouTubeHosted + produced by Susan FloryMusic: “Beautiful Day” by Sahin KocSupport The Big Middle

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