Boosting the UK workforce

The role of OH and wellbeing in supporting UK economic activity

Summary:

In the face of a declining UK workforce and stubbornly high levels of economic inactivity, Noreen Tehrani believes that occupational health and wellbeing can play a significant role in supporting the UK economy by increasing employee capacity and encouraging more people to enter or remain in work.

 

There is a growing concern regarding the increasing number of people in the UK who are economically inactive. This article examines how occupational health (OH) professionals can encourage economically active citizens to work in an inclusive workforce.

THE CHANGING WORKFORCE

Economic growth depends on having an increasingly economically active population; however, the UK economy is being challenged by a fall in the number of people working and a rise in those who are not working. Reasons for economic inactivity include: long-term sickness; taking retirement; caring for family members; not seeking work; and being in higher education¹.

The structure of the UK population is changing, with a rising number of older people and a falling birth rate. At the current level of 1.55 births per woman, the birth rate is too low to replace those leaving the workforce. The difference in the growth of the pensioner population and that of the working-age population has a significant…

 

Dr Noreen Tehrani is a chartered occupational, health and counselling psychologist.

 

Author: Tehrani, N.

Occupational Health at Work August/September 2024 (vol. 21/2) pp24-28

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