Women’s experiences of re-entering employment in later life remain largely invisible in academic research and society. This project will spotlight these experiences through in-depth, qualitative interviews with unemployed/inactive women aged 50-65 who are seeking re-employment across England. Studies have considered previous cohorts, but not these late-Boomer and early-Gen-X women. These women were a turning point in women’s employment rights and expectations; yet, many have no choice but to work for longer amid UK State Pension Age increases, welfare cuts, the cost-of-living crisis, and pension privatisation. The biographical approach will highlight the influence of earlier life events on these women’s labour market experiences today, while its intersectional approach will elucidate differences by class, family status, and ethnicity.

This project is funded by a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant (SRG24\240203) and will run from January 2025 for 24 months.