Hundreds of job applications, exhausting searches and relentless rejection – the experience of attempting to get back into the workforce after losing their jobs in their 50s and 60s has proved an ordeal for some Britons. For some, those efforts prove fruitless and lead jobseekers to reluctantly take early retirement. Others may have to rely on benefits to pay the bills while they continue to job hunt.
Recent research by the Centre for Ageing Better found that the number of people between 50 and state pension age having difficulty finding work was 918,000 – akin to the number of young people not in education, employment or training – at the end of last year, the highest since 2020. The count was 2.9 million when including those with long-term health conditions and caring responsibilities. The Guardian asked people over 50 to get in touch and share their experiences of trying to return to work.
James, 59, who lives in south-west England, lost his job two years ago and, since then, has had “eight interviews from 598 job applications”. Overall I have been barely employed, perhaps severely underemployed, for two years, and I can’t find a way out of this situation.” James, who has worked in international development, says when he was applying for jobs in the early 2020s he was getting “an interview every 15 or 20 applications” but now “it’s about one per 80 applications”. At the moment, he is scraping by with occasional editing for organisations in his sector and a bit of freelance writing for a magazine.
He adds: “I do wonder if age is an issue. Perhaps companies think a younger person will be more flexible, more capable, and they can mould them into their particular way of working. The only thing to do is to persevere and hope.” Sally*, 52, who has worked in the charity sector and lives in Birmingham, says she has applied for “more than 100 roles” but “still no bites”.
She has had 17 interviews in the past 10 months and has been perplexed by immediate rejections for jobs for which she seemed well suited. It’s tough out there.” Sally, who is in receipt of 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 not sure if age is a factor but feels it could be “part of the mix”. 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.” David*, 66, who has worked in IT for 35 years, says he had hoped to find work after he was made redundant in early 2020, but after three years of looking he just could not find a job. However, he found the job market much tougher than expected. In 2022, Liz, 51, took a six-month career break to care for her dying father.
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