British workers increasingly likely to work into their 70s, research suggests

The rise in older people staying in work has been steeper among women, with likely in response to changes to the pension age. Photograph: Islandstock/Alamy

British workers are increasingly likely to work into their 70s, according to research released on International Workers’ Day that found the cost of living crisis has left older people with little choice but to stay in employment.

There were 446,601 people above the age of 70 still in work last year, a rise of 61% compared with 277,926 in 2012, said Rest Less, an online community for the over-50s that offers advice to older workers.