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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Guardian community team

Tell us: have you left the UK workforce in your 50s?

Workers aged 55 to 64 have dropped out of workforce
Workers aged 55 to 64 have dropped out of workforce Photograph: Hollie Adams/Getty Images

The boss of John Lewis has said that the 1 million mostly over-50s who left the workforce during the pandemic should be encouraged to return to help deal with inflation.

Dame Sharon White said retirees should be encouraged to return in order to tackle the effect of labour shortages on inflation and wages. “Regardless of what is happening coming out of Covid, if the labour market is that tight, if we continue to have far fewer people in work – or looking for work – you have inevitably got more inflation and wage inflation,” she said.

We’d like to hear from people in their 50s who have left the UK workforce since the pandemic. How and why did you leave the workforce? How were you able to afford it? Are you considering returning to work? Has the cost of living crisis affected your plans?

Share your experiences

We will only use the data you provide us for the purpose of the feature. We will delete any personal data when we no longer require it for this purpose. For more information please see our terms of service and privacy policy.

If you are 18 years or over, you can get in touch by filling in the form below or contacting us via WhatsApp by clicking here or adding +44(0)7766780300. Your responses are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. One of our journalists will be in contact before we publish, so please do leave contact details.

If you’re having trouble using the form, click here.

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