54-Year-Old Says He's Applied For Over 150 Jobs With No Offers – Age Bias and Algorithms Are Keeping Older Workers Out Of The Workforce

Job hunting has always been tough, but if you're over 50, it feels like an uphill battle. This age group faces unique challenges, especially as the job market cools and automation changes the hiring game. 

Recently, a 54-year-old project manager took to Reddit to vent about how tough it is to find work after being released from a long-term job. He'd sent out 154 resumes and received 48 rejections – a familiar story for older workers facing age-related obstacles and hiring algorithms that favor younger, digital-native applicants.

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According to a BuzzFeed report, older workers are more likely to be laid off or pushed out of roles. Once they're out, reentering the workforce isn't just hard; it's financially devastating. 

According to BuzzFeed, the data analysis by ProPublica and the Urban Institute of the Health and Retirement Study found half of those over 50 will face layoffs and only about 10% ever return to the same income level. Why? The employment landscape is full of barriers for this age group, from skill gaps to automated tracking systems that may not even show older resumes to hiring managers if they lack certain keywords.

Public policy expert Carl Van Horn of Rutgers University highlights a big issue: automated tracking systems and hiring algorithms often work against older candidates. These systems are programmed to scan resumes for dates and skill sets, often dismissing applicants without recent digital skills. Yet, many of these skills could be easily taught if companies were more open-minded about experience versus skill-specific credentials.

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As the job market changes, even younger workers feel the pinch. Yahoo Finance reported a recent dip in the Consumer Confidence Index, reflecting people's unease with the job market. The gap between those who see jobs as "plentiful" and those who find them "hard to get" is narrowing, showing just how much hiring has slowed. Conference Board senior economist Stephanie Guichard noted that while we're no longer in a "super hot" job market, it's still historically strong. However, for workers like the Reddit user, that "strength" is cold comfort when facing rejection after rejection.

Labor data from Yahoo Finance paints a picture of a market vastly different from the hiring boom of 2022, a time of big raises and rapid hiring post-pandemic. The unemployment rate has climbed to 4.2%, the highest in nearly three years and job gains are slowing. Fewer people are quitting their jobs – indicating a shift from the "Great Resignation" to what economists call the "Great Stay." Workers are holding tight to current positions, not because they're thrilled to stay but because they know the risk of finding new opportunities is higher.

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For older job seekers, the competition is especially fierce, as the labor market's "cooling" makes companies even less willing to take on candidates who may require training or adaptations in skill sets. Guy Berger, economic research director at The Burning Glass Institute, pointed out that the declining rate of quits underscores how employees are sensing a weakening market and realizing that leaving a job now could lead to prolonged unemployment.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has acknowledged this shift but sees it as a healthy correction, keeping the labor market "in a strong place." Powell says, "The U.S. economy is in good shape," but older workers like those posting on Reddit would likely disagree. As layoffs creep up and the job market tightens, those over 50 face an even tougher road.

Navigating the modern job market, particularly for older workers, requires a mix of updated skills, adaptability and sometimes a strategic pivot. While the stats paint a challenging picture, taking a proactive approach, perhaps by updating digital skills or connecting with an experienced financial advisor, can help open up new possibilities in this increasingly selective market.

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