The Work Audit April 2012 report published by the CIPD with the title "Age, gender and jobs recession" reveals two "stand-out" groups. Firstly there are 271,000 more women aged between 50-64 in the labour market than at the start of the recession and secondly 200,000 more women aged 65 and over, actually in work.
Some of the reasons for this, the report claims, is a combination of population ageing and fewer workers retiring early either for financial reasons or a desire to prolong their working lives.
It would be good to attribute these changes also to the removal of retirement age in employment, increasing employer awareness of the skills and experience older workers can provide plus the workers themselves not writing themselves off too soon.
Clearly the so called "Madonna generation" still has a great deal to offer and a lot more besides!