Longer working lives could boost economy by €15bn

Ireland’s economy could be boosted by around €15bn over the next 20 years or so if more people over the age of 55 were working, according to a new study by PwC.

The survey of OECD members ranks Ireland in the bottom half — and well below the likes of Britain, the US, and Germany — in terms of employment rate for its citizens in the 50-plus age bracket.

Although it has steadily been rising over recent years, Ireland’s score in the index stood at 60.1 points at the end of 2015; the most recent year for which data is available. Putting that into perspective, Iceland tops the latest table, with a score of 98.8.