1 The search for income

**With belts tightening across the country, millions are looking for ways to boost their take-home pay.**

Financial pressures are forcing people to seek new ways of increasing their income

The cost of living crisis is testing the depth of people’s pockets.

And with interest rates spiralling to decade-high levels, homeowners are also facing a sizeable jump in their monthly mortgage repayments.

People’s finances can only stretch so far – and, despite taking measures to cut back on everyday spending, running out of money is a key concern that’s shared by more than half of the people we spoke to (58%).

With the economic outlook unlikely to improve over the short term at least, the ability to make ends meet has become a significant challenge.

Indeed, we’re seeing a clear trend in people searching for second jobs, putting the brakes on their retirement plans and even returning to work having previously retired.

The impact on older generations

The crisis is keeping people in work for longer – and forcing some to unretire.

The ongoing financial uncertainty is having an impact on when people hope to step away from their working life. Indeed, more than 1 in 10 of those who are approaching retirement told us that the crisis has caused them to delay their plans. And this is true for both men and women.

At the same time, more than two-thirds (67%) of people who are over the age of 65 now believe they’ll need to keep working beyond their State Pension age. This number has gone up from 61% last year.

More than 1 in 10 (15%) retirees who are over the age of 65 also say they’ve chosen to unretire.

If these trends continue, employers will need to consider how they can fully harness the talents of an older workforce. This could include actively encouraging older workers to apply for their vacancies. They may also want to offer greater flexibility when it comes to working patterns - and make sure that any investment they’re making in their staff training or reskilling is designed for all ages, not just younger generations.

Pension saving will outlive Netflix subscriptions

The cost of living crisis is forcing most people to cut back on their everyday spending.

As people look for cost savings, they’re more likely to stop or reduce regular payments towards TV subscriptions, phone contracts and even charity donations before they’d consider adjusting how much they save into their pension.