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British people are working to an older age. The number of working 70-74-year-olds has doubled in the past decade. Around 10 per cent of people in their early 70s now work. This is the highest figure on record. Just over a quarter of a million 70-74-year-olds now have jobs. In 2005, it was just 100,000. The government said people are deciding to retire later. A reason for people working in their old age is because retirement pensions in Britain are becoming more difficult to live on. Many older people have to work and not retire to be able to survive.

An employment spokesman said: "The last decade has seen [big] changes in the labour market, with far more people working beyond retirement age." He said many people needed to earn extra money because they couldn't afford to retire. He added that older people needed good jobs and pensions so they could make a genuine choice about whether they stay in work. A spokesman for small businesses said more older people were starting their own businesses. He said this was something they may have dreamed of doing for many years.