John Lewis boss says over 50s need to go back to work to solve labour shortage

Government should consider ‘flexible retirement’ to entice people back into work, she says

The head of John Lewis has encouraged people over-50 who retired after the pandemic to return to work in a bid to solve critical labour shortages.

Dame Sharon White blamed the current record-high inflation in the UK on the “great resignation” of one million workers.

“Regardless of what is happening coming out of Covid, if the labour market is that tight, if we continue to have far fewer people in work – or looking for work – you have inevitably got more inflation and wage inflation,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday.