Record numbers of older people fear they will have to work beyond the official retirement age, research has revealed.

More than 70 per cent of workers aged 55 and above said the financial crisis had left them with no option but to shelve their retirement plans. The figure was just 40 per cent in the same survey two years ago.

Actual jobless figures are over 4.5 million despite the Office of National Statistics (ONS) finding that 2.44 million people are unemployed, according to the Chartered institute of Personnel and development (CIPD).

Long-term unemployed older people may be forced into early retirement unless they are given the support to help them back into work according to a new report by the TUC. the report draws on research by the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) that unemployed peopleover 50 are ten times as likely to still be out of work than back in work after two years.

33% of mothers would like to quit their jobs in order to care for their children; another 60% would like to reduce their hours for the same reason; 66% say they cant afford to give up work.

Reports The Mail

One in three workers (34%) believe that potential employers look badly on candidates who have been made redundant, new research reveals. The poll of 4000 workers carried out by online recruiter Jobsite.co.uk, uncovers the myths and realities of redundancy in the recession.

Despite popular belief, responses from around 500 HR Managers reveals that one in three (35%)companies are actively targeting candidates who have been made redundant by rival firms.