An army of “ageless workers” prepared to stay on the tools well into their 70s is transforming parts of the nation’s workforce and giving employers a new source of labour.

Research compiled by KPMG, released on Thursday, shows that the share of 70-year-old men in paid employment has climbed from one in 10 in 2004 to one in four today. About 10 per cent of men in their late 70s are still working.

Since 2014-15, the expected age of retirement by men has climbed by 2.2 years to 67. Among women, it has increased by 1.1 years to 65.3 years.

The age pension access age was increased from 65 to 67 between 2017 and 2023 but the expected retirement age also takes into account people who may want to continue working rather than fully retire.

According to KPMG urban economist Terry Rawnsley, while

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