PwC comments on the Keep Britain Working Review: Economic inactivity is no longer just a policy challenge - it’s a boardroom priority

Phillippa O'Connor, Chief People Officer at PwC, commented on the Keep Britain Working Review: 

“Economic inactivity is no longer just a policy challenge - it’s a boardroom priority. No employer has all the answers. PwC is proud to be part of the vanguard phase of the Keep Britain Working Review, contributing insight and testing new approaches. We’re committed to turning evidence into action and building a healthier, more inclusive workforce that benefits people, business and the economy. 

“The review rightly puts data at the heart of the response - by combining our insights with those from other employers we can help build a powerful evidence base on what really makes a difference. At PwC, we've seen the benefits of comprehensive health support - but one of the biggest opportunities lies in better equipping people managers with the skills to support colleagues, especially during periods of sickness and return-to-work transitions. There’s a delicate line between support and overreach and finding the right balance is key to tackling health-related inactivity across the UK workplace.” 

PwC published its Turning the Tide on Economic Inactivity report in March 2025. Key findings include:

• One in ten workers are actively considering leaving work for an extended period. A further 20% have considered leaving in the past year (spiking to 25% for 18-24 year olds), with concerns about mental health the most cited factor.

• Nine in ten (90%) employers are concerned about inactivity, with six in ten seeing an increase in employees leaving the workplace and more than half reconsidering the support they provide staff

• Four fifths (81%) of employers say productivity has been impacted by economic inactivity, with more than seven in ten (77%) saying it is affecting financial performance

• Over half (57%) businesses are worried about recruiting someone who has been inactive; over a third of employers associate inactivity with people “gaming the system”, but a similar proportion see it as a risk to talent they value.