Working age series replaced with aged 16-64 years — female state pension age change

As previously announced, labour market indicators have changed from the former working age definition (16-59 for women and 16-64 for men) to a 16-64 basis for both men and women.

The following figures will be affected on Nomis:

• Claimant count and DWP working-age client group: residence based proportions are now calculated using the population aged 16-64. The count of claimants will be unaffected but the percentage figure will change to reflect the new divisor. The change has been retrospectively applied to all dates for which rates are available.
  
• Annual Population Survey: variables which used the former working-age (aged 15-59f/64m) definition have been modified to to the new age 16-64 basis. Variables on the old working-age definition are no longer available from Nomis. Additional variables which previously had an upper age limit of 59f/64m have been modified so that the upper age limit is now 64 for both males and females. These changes have been applied to the relevant variables for all published APS periods.
  
• Jobs density: The divisor used in the calculation has been changed to the resident population aged 16-64. The total jobs figures is unaffected by this change, but the jobs density figure will change. The change has been retrospectively applied to all dates.

Saved queries & live links which reference any of the affected data will work without need for modification and will simply return data on the new aged 16-64 basis rather than working age.

Background

Priot to 11 August 2010, a number of headline labour market measures are described as working age, for example employment and inactivity rates. These working age measures are based on upper age limits of 59 for women and 64 for men, reflecting the state pension ages at the time in the UK. However, between 2010 and 2020, the state pension age for women will gradually increase, by one month every two months, from 60 to 65.

Following a public consultation and extensive discussions with key users within government, ONS decided that, from August 2010, the current working age measures will be replaced with measures based on those aged from 16 to 64 for both men and women. This change will bring the UK into line with current international practice.

There are no implications for the headline unemployment rate which will continue to be based on the economically active population aged 16 and over.

Throughout the UK and regional Labour Market Statistical Bulletins and all other Labour Market National Statistics outputs including Nomis, the current working-age series will be replaced by series based on those aged from 16 to 64 for both men and women. Where we used to show series based on men aged from 16 to 64 and women aged from 16 to 59, these will be replaced by series based on those aged from 16 to 64 for both men and women. Similarly, series based on men aged 65 and over and women aged 60 and over will be replaced by series based on those aged 65 and over for both men and women. Likewise series that currently use a working age denominator will change to a denominator based on those aged from 16 to 64 for both men and women.

The existing headline rates for UK employment and inactivity, based on women aged from 16-59 and men aged from 16-64 will continue to be published every month, for a limited period, in the ONS Labour Market Statistical Bulletin Historical Supplement, but not in the Statistical Bulletin itself nor on Nomis.

ONS will also publish, in the Labour Force Survey Historical Quarterly Supplement, a rate that follows the incremental increases in the female state pension age.

Further details of this change can be found in an article published in the January 2010 edition of Economic & Labour Market Review which is available at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/article.asp?ID=2346