Number of economically inactive adults in UK workforce set to soar over next decade
Author: RSPH 03 November 2025 2 min read
A growing number of people are leaving the workforce, which could cost the economy as much as £36 billion a year.
The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) has today published new analysis warning that by 2035 up as many as 3.37 million adults will be economically inactive due to long-term health conditions without urgent action from Government and employers.
The projection represents an increase of 26% over the next decade and would cost the economy as much as £36 billion a year if the current trajectory continues.
Why are people leaving the workforce?
The growing number of people leaving the workforce due to long-term conditions is being driven by a range of factors, including musculoskeletal disorders, mental health problems and cardiovascular disease.
Previous RSPH research has shown that there are 10 million people across the UK workforce with no access to health support.
185 million working days are lost to ill health every year, costing the economy £100 billion.
A shift in approaches to workplace health
RSPH is calling for a ‘fundamental shift’ in the way policymakers and employers see workplace health – arguing that workplaces are underutilised as settings that can support people with long-term health conditions to stay in work and even prevent them developing.
It has put forward a range of measures that it argues would make workplaces better equipped to support the health of their employees. These include a national health and work standard that would establish a minimum level of support for all UK workers.
Other measures include a concerted focus on upskilling line managers by employers so that they can more effectively support staff at risk of stopping work due to their health.
The UK’s productivity crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing our economy and long-term health conditions in the workforce are a major factor in this. It’s set to get a lot worse if we don’t act – causing enormous harm to our economy and the people forced to stop working.
William Roberts, Chief Executive, RSPH
In the past workplace health has been seen as a tick box exercise for white collar workers. We need a fundamental shift in how we see the role of employers in keeping people healthy backed up by a national standard that covers all UK employees.
There’s a host of interventions that the Government and employers could be implementing which we hope to see recommended in the Keep Britain Working review. Acting now on workplace health will pay off for businesses, the public, and our economy.
At RSPH, we want every business to be able to do more for the health of their workforce.
Later this month we will be launching the Health and Work Network. It will bring together employers to demonstrate their commitment to workplace wellbeing and to share best practice. Complete the form below and be the first to hear about it when it launches.
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