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29 September 2009 | The High Court has ruled the default retirement...

The High Court has ruled the default retirement age of 65 was lawful when first introduced three years ago, but admitted there is now a compelling case for raising the age.

In his ruling Mr Justice Blake said he recognised the "very substantial weight" of arguments put forward by Age Concern, Help the Aged and the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, to stop people being retired at age 65.

But he also took into account the Governments decision earlier in the summer to bring forward a review of default retirement from 2011 to 2010, which will consider whether a default retirement age is still "appropriate and necessary."

Mr Justice Blake commented that a default retirement age would be unlawful if it was introduced in 2009, but his decision to allow it was based on circumstances and evidence at the time.

Commenting on the ruling, Adam Marshall, director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: "This was the right decision. The vast majority of businesses value their older employees and the considerable experience that they can bring to a firm. We do not believe there is evidence of widespread use or abuse of the system; only 1 in 4 businesses we surveyed use the default retirement age."

Graduates are more concerned about career progression than financial incentives when looking for a job.
According to a survey by leadership development organisation Impact International, 87% of graduate jobseekers say career progression is the most important factor when applying for a job, compared with only 55% who rated salary and benefits and 45% who favoured training and development.

Given the current economic climate, 43% would feel insecure starting a new job and 38% think employers need to concentrate on employee communication as their main issue in light of the recession. Just under a third (30%) think employers should be engaging staff as a priority and going the extra mile to make employees feel valued.

The recession has also led graduates to want to stay longer with one employer. A third want to stay put for between two and four years, while 27% hope to remain in their job for five years or more.