Recent research by the Centre for Ageing Better reveals that at the end of last year, 918,000 people between 50 and state pension age were having difficulty finding work – the highest number since 2020. This figure is comparable to the number of young people not in education, employment, or training. Including those with long-term health conditions and caring responsibilities, the count rises to 2.9 million.
The Guardian invited people over 50 to share their experiences of trying to return to work, and the responses paint a stark picture of rejection, exhaustion, and in some cases, forced early retirement.
Hundreds of applications, a handful of interviews
James, 59, from south-west England, lost his job two years ago. Since then, he has had "eight interviews from 598 job applications." He describes the experience as "horrible … and very stressful." He keeps a detailed Excel file of every application, noting that none were successful for the advertised roles, though some led to other work. "Overall I have been barely employed, perhaps severely underemployed, for two years, and I can’t find a way out of this situation," he says.
James, who has worked in international development, says that in the early 2020s he was getting "an interview every 15 or 20 applications," but now "it’s about one per 80 applications." He currently scrapes by with occasional editing for organisations in his sector and freelance writing for a magazine. "It’s tiny, but it’s something," he says. He lives at a relative’s house and relies on his savings when needed. He notes that feedback on applications is "never shared, so I’ve no grasp of why I fail." He wonders if age is an issue, speculating that companies might think a younger person is more flexible and capable. "The only thing to do is to persevere and hope," he adds.
Immediate rejections for seemingly perfect roles
Sally*, 52, from Birmingham, has worked in the charity sector. She has applied for "more than 100 roles" but "still no bites." In the past 10 months, she has had 17 interviews and is perplexed by immediate rejections for jobs for which she seemed well suited. "I’ve applied for lower and higher level roles, for temp and part-time ones, some outside my field but where I feel my skills can bring value, and some roles that I don’t really want but am desperate," she says. "I’ve had immediate noes for roles that appear to be written for me and have had interviews for roles which I applied for as a long shot. It’s tough out there."
Sally, who receives jobseeker’s allowance, adds: "Looking for a job is at times harder than actually doing a job – not to mention the impact on your self-esteem, pocket, and relationships." She is unsure if age is a factor but feels it could be "part of the mix." "I’ve wondered if assumptions are made, if there’s perhaps a bias at play, is there an underlying feeling of threat? But I have to stop myself from going down that road. It won’t help my sense of self, as it’s something I cannot change," she reflects.
Forced into early retirement after years of searching
David*, 66, from the north-east of England, worked in IT for 35 years. Made redundant in early 2020, he hoped to find work but after three years of looking, he abandoned the search. "In 2021 I started to look for a new job," he says. Although he knew his IT experience was "out of date," he was open to "part-time or temporary or minimum-wage jobs or zero-hours contracts." He even expected to get a job stacking shelves in a supermarket. However, the job market was much tougher than expected. "In 2024, I abandoned the attempt and retired," he says. "I had applied to all the supermarkets and never got a response." He recalls applying to one well-known store only to see its chair on TV "complaining about how difficult it was to find employees due to the Brexit deal."
Feeling invisible as a fiftysomething woman
Liz, 51, from London, works in education. In 2022, she took a six-month career break to care for her dying father. She returned to work in 2023, first in a part-time interim leadership role (maternity cover), then a "quite junior role" thinking it would "tide her over" until she secured a more senior position. More than two years later, she is still in the same job. "I have applied for more than 100 jobs and only received a handful of interviews," she says. "I think it is my age but also my gender. My worry is that I won’t be able to return to a senior position. I feel exhausted and deflated by the whole job-hunting experience." She adds: "I feel like I’m being deskilled. But I’m not alone – many of my female friends who are around the same age as me are experiencing similar issues, and I also realise there are people not able to find any employment at all."
Liz initially thought her lack of success was due to her own shortcomings. "I thought, well, there must be something wrong with me, with my profile, with what I’m saying, with how I’m interviewing. You do the soul searching." She recalls an incident before an interview with a charity when a panel member asked her: "Do you always dress so formally?" She says, "I felt it was a very personal reference to my age, and this clear bias made its way as the reason not to hire me." At another charity, feedback was that she lacked "presence." She says, "There are lots of people like me in the sector I am applying for, so it means that employers have the pick. I feel invisible in the workplace and in public life as a fiftysomething woman. I just feel like experience isn’t valued any more."
* Names have been changed.
