Nearly a quarter (23%) of the UK’s self employed workforce were 60 or older last year as the number hit a record 991,432, according to a new analysis. And 49% were over 50. The research comes from Rest Less, the on line 50-plus digital community. It analysed data from the Office of National Statistics’ Annual Population Survey. Of those self employed past their 60th birthdays, 223,086 were 70 or older. Stuart Lewis, its chief executive, says: “For many, self-employment is a great option as it allows people to remain active and engaged in the community and workforce whilst also providing greater flexibility – leveraging their skills, experience and network to make an impact. The decision to go self-employed can be driven by wildly different sets of circumstances from people living comfortably and pursuing an entrepreneurial passion to those who are forced to generate an income and have not been able to find a permanent solution in the mainstream workforce.The cost of living crisis of recent years has made it particularly challenging for those relying solely on their state pension and we’ve seen an increase in the number of people turning to self-employment to provide an additional income source and top up pensions whilst they still can.” Suzanne Noble, founder of Startup School for Seniors, says “We’ve been inspired by the resourcefulness and ambition of people in this age group. Many are not just working longer out of necessity but are choosing self-employment to express a purpose, tap into lifelong passions, and use their bank of experience. This trend reflects a broader cultural change where older adults are redefining later life, seeing it as a time of opportunity, reinvention, and continued contribution to society.” Rest Less cites the experience of Janice, now 66(pictured), who fulfilled an old desire to teach dancing in her 50s, signing up to an ‘exercise to music’ course at Dundee University – run by Active IQ. Around the same time, she was part of a community effort to raise money for Parkinson’s UK after a friend was diagnosed with the disease. Consequently she discovered Parkinson’s Dance, which she also studied how to teach. Now she works for herself teaching multiple classes online that cater for people living with the disease and other neurological conditions as well as those living with Parkinson’s, as well as other types of dance exercise classes. Janice says she can’t see herself ever reetiring.
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