More than one million 50 to 65 years olds who want to work, cannot get a job because employers refuse to recruit older workers or retain current employees by investing in training, according to a report from the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

The report says that of 2.6 million 50 to 65 year olds who are unemployed or economically inactive over a third want a job.

The TUC says even more older people will be forced to go on benefits unless employers stop discriminating against older workers and adopt age management strategies to retain the to retain over-50s.

TUC deputy general secretary Frances O’Grady says: “Most baby boomers are not retiring early to cruise around the world or go bungee jumping. They have been dumped out of work and on to the scrapheap and are scraping by on benefits or small work pensions.

“By refusing to retain and recruit older staff, who want to work, employers are accelerating the demographic timebomb the economy is resting on,” O’Grady adds.