Commenting on the initial report by the Keep Britain Working Review, Mike Robinson, Chief Executive of British Safety Council said:

“Sir Charlie Mayfield’s initial findings show that nearly one in four people, under the age of 35, are economically inactive due to ill health. Should this trend continue, without intervention, it will have profound impacts on the future of the national workforce and wider implications on national levels of productivity and economic growth.

“Sir Charlie has identified the need for the Government to partner with employers to keep people in work and support them to remain there. This confirms what we’ve long known to be true, that good work is good for people. When done right work can offer a sense of purpose, support employees through life’s challenges and contribute to increased productivity and profitability. Viewed in the round, good work can have real and long-term benefits for individuals, who in turn, will drive the prosperous economies of the future.

“Hand in glove with the wider welfare reforms that were announced by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions earlier this week, it’s clear that only decisive action will change the trajectory of this worrying trend and create a future workforce that is fit to meet the changes and challenges that the future, inevitably, holds.”