The number of women leaving the workforce after age 70 more than doubled, according to Hargreaves Lansdown.

The firm has analysed ONS data which shoes that the number of women working until after the age of 70 increased from 5.6 per cent in 2012 to 11.3 per cent in 2016. The firm is warning of a rapid trend to later life working.

Figures also found that men are leaving the workforce later. Ten per cent of those leaving the labour market did so over age 70 in 2012, this jumped by 55 per cent to 15.5 per cent in 2016.

Nathan Long, senior pension analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "Older workers bring valuable skills, experience and loyalty to workforces across the country. The key to fulfilling working lives is to make sure both they and their employers can adapt their employment where appropriate so that it continues to be mutually rewarding. Ultimately they also need to have the means to leave the workforce and to enjoy retirement when they are ready to do so.

"This jump in those leaving work over 70 may simply be through individual choice; workers should be encouraged to work as late in life as they are able and feel is desirable.

"However it is also a reflection of the increasing strain on the pension system. The best days of well-funded early retirement are behind us. The risk to employers is of a workforce trapped in jobs they don’t want to do, which will inevitably impact on productivity. The Government has already set out their vision for fulfilling working lives, but its success requires employers to embrace flexible working, re-education of employees and the transfer of a lifetime of knowledge. It also relies on people taking individual ownership of their retirement as auto-enrolment alone is simply not enough."