Two-thirds of the 350,000 new jobs created in the UK this year have gone to young people aged under-35, with the remainder filled by people aged over 50.

According to new data from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), people in the 35-49 year age bracket (easily the largest single age demographic in the workforce, comprising almost 11m workers) have therefore missed out and continue to register a rise in unemployment with the number of ‘middle-aged’ Britons in work now 2.9% lower than at the start of the recession in spring 2008.

Dr John Philpott, CIPD chief economic adviser, says: “It is not clear why 35-49 year olds have so far been bypassed by the jobs recovery. One possibility is that this group has received less help and support from policy makers than either younger or older people.

“The fact that such a large and core part of the workforce has been slow to benefit from the jobs recovery makes it easy to understand why so many people remain unconvinced that the economy is really on the up. Things should improve for this group once the economy starts to generate more full-time and permanent jobs. But with slower growth likely in 2011, ‘middle-aged Britons’ may continue to feel bypassed in the labour market for a little while longer yet.”