Proposals to raise the retirement age are fueling fears that employees over 45 will become more vulnerable to redundancy, research has suggested.

The study, which was conducted by market researchers GfK NOP, suggests that workers aged between 45 and 54 are the most cynical about the government's proposal to encourage people work longer.

A fifth of participants in the 45-54 age group feared losing their jobs in the next year, and a third of those over 45 said they saw no opportunities for progression.

By 2020 more than half of the UK working population will be over 40.

Sukhi Ghataore, employee engagement specialist at GfK NOP, said: "These workers who had previously dreamt of retirement, but now fear being stranded in unemployment, present a challenge to employers in terms of maintaining engagement.

"It is vital that businesses work hard to ensure their most experienced employees feel valued and that they are an asset."