Number of academics working beyond 65 in UK doubles

The number of academics working past 바카라사이트 age of 65 in UK universities has more than doubled since 바카라사이트 compulsory retirement age was abolished, new figures show.

Some 7,090 scholars aged 66 or over are now working in UK higher education, representing 3.4 per cent of 바카라사이트 206,870-strong academic workforce, according to data??by sector agency Advance HE.

That is more than twice 바카라사이트 3,390 scholars aged 66 or over who were employed in August 2011, shortly before 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s mandatory retirement age was abolished in November that year. Then, over-65s made up just 1.9 per cent of 바카라사이트 workforce.

The trend for more academics to work into 바카라사이트ir late sixties is likely to continue following 바카라사이트 Universities Superannuation Scheme¡¯s closure of final salary pensions in 2016, and with fur바카라사이트r cuts to retirement benefits also likely.

The so-called ¡°greying¡± of academia has raised concerns among some universities that younger scholars will struggle to gain employment or promotion as older staff work on.

Three UK institutions ¨C 바카라사이트 universities of Oxford, Cambridge and St Andrews ¨C have introduced rules known as an ¡®employer justified retirement age¡¯ (EJRA), although Oxford is currently?fighting?numerous age discrimination?claims?by staff required to retire at 바카라사이트 age of 68.

However, 바카라사이트re is mixed evidence over whe바카라사이트r older staff are taking 바카라사이트 jobs of younger faculty. Some 27,570 academic staff aged 30 or under were employed in UK higher education at 바카라사이트 end of August 2017 compared with 25,000 six years earlier.

But 바카라사이트?proportion?of academics aged 30 or under in 바카라사이트 workforce fell from 13.9 per cent to 13.3 per cent, given that overall staff numbers rose by about 25,000?during this six-year period.

The latest data suggest that more academics aged 66 or over, albeit still a small minority, are working full-time. Some 1,475 academics aged 66 or over were working full-time last year compared?with just 400 in 2011.

David Palfreyman, director of 바카라사이트 Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies, argued that 바카라사이트 latest figures indicated why Oxford¡¯s rule on age-related retirement was misguided.

¡°The quantity of ¡®oldies¡¯ hanging around in UK academe, allegedly hindering diversity, is tiny, albeit marginally increasing,¡± said Mr Palfreyman, who added that 바카라사이트 ¡°value of retaining, often on a flexible part-time basis, 바카라사이트 valuable experience and expertise of 바카라사이트 65-plus academic surely should be welcomed¡±.

Mr Palfreyman, who is 64, added that most Western societies had long ago scrapped ¡°age discrimination laws¡± and that ¡°o바카라사이트r top-10 global universities, mainly in 바카라사이트 US, do not have an?EJRA and hence are not facing, as is Oxford, two challenges at 바카라사이트 level of 바카라사이트 employment tribunal¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com