Are Companies Still Hiring Older Workers in 2023

57 and finally landed a permanent job 7 years after being surplussed in 2016. Things really kicked in gear when it opened back up after the lockdowns. Started getting recruiters contacting me about temp contract jobs and I was able to build my resume with new job skills and recent employment. I also think the sudden interest had to do with people resigning or retiring in large numbers.

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Lou, great advice for the general audience. I would offer that in this very specific case (given her years of experience and education), you may want to suggest she contact a reputable executive search firm that specializes in placing IT and Security professionals. The hiring company will pick up the fees, so their should be no expense on her part and in most cases the search firms will offer advice/coaching which can lead to a hire, since it's to their advantage to get her hired.

Apply at USPS—they are desperate for workers.

I'm retired now, but haven't lost interest in the issue. The problem older employees face is from two causes: First, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act is a weak law that is hard to enforce. It requires two or more employees to sue a company in a civil case. It also allows companies to discriminate in hiring. Instead, age discrimination should be made a criminal offense that is prosecuted and should demarcate rational standards for determination when it occurs. Second, is immigration policy which makes it a buyer's market for labor. Our immigration quotas allowed by law are much higher than those needed to sustain our population. Fixing these laws will make America more a society that takes care of its own.

I don't believe for a minute that we, as citizens, should just 'live with it.'

Thanks for doing what you do, Lou. I have had 3 careers, more jobs than I can remember due mostly to market forces and a couple accidents while truck driving. Shared your info with a department of labor sponsored networking group back in 2019, 2020, 2021 when I was laid off twice. Most of the people in the group were in the 50-60 year old range with a few younger. Had run into some of the same people in the group back around 2016. All of them had plenty of experience, skills, etc and were laid off again. I'm back to the job that got postponed during covid, only part time now. Keep up the good work.

Re Resume: No, unfortunately, some of use can't limit our background to 10 years. I had an HR gal recommend this to me and also update my resume as well. She was HR oner 20k employees. The first time I used it the hiring manager asked for all sequential experience in industry. We are talking Pharma, Medical Device, Blood Banking, Biotech, IVD etc. All of my experience is relevant and important so went back to my original CV. Now, let's address networking. I'm not really sure how professionals like I deal with can be so unprofessional. Despite being recommended, I am ignored. This has happened 4 times now. One said he would set up a meeting for us to meet but that never came. Just interviewed 3 times with a company but they have not updated me on the status of the position (1 month gone by) for which I interviewed. I followed up and now it's been a week with no response to my email. I've never seen anything like this. I am now 61 and have been trying to find a perm. position since 2018 layoff. And, in the short term contracts I have secured I've been treated disgustingly badly. Hiring managers all seem to be far younger.

Older adults (you know, the adult in the room!). Have the discipline and the intestinal fortitude to get out of bed and come to work!. Companies love old farts like me! We are dependable.

I suggest you ask your favorite IA like ChatGPT to write the perfect resume, because apparently your resume will be read by an IA.

I had a bit of a warning in my mind when I did the online career test because it wants twenty US dollars to see the job titles and it says ;
"Your 2023 income potential is excellent.

One of the careers that matched your work personality paid $193,680 last year in the United States.

The majority of career professionals who tested similar to your work personality had an income 285% higher than the average American.

A small percentage of professionals with work personalities matching yours are some of the highest-paid individuals in the world."
sound a little to good to be true which is also a warning to me ;)

Curious of anyone's opinion on the free version of Career Fitter. I took it, but will hold back on my opinion for now.

I was a mortgage professional for many years. I have been looking for a job for almost a year now and no luck. It's very depressing and yes, age discrimination is a real thing. I'm 61.

There are people in Congress who are in their 80s or older WOW!

I can only report my own experience. 57 yo and i Chose a voluntary redundancy to take a year sabbatical. I work in the tech sales area. I was worried if ageism would be a problem to rejoin the workforce, but I was adamant a sabbatical was needed. I set things up on Linkedin announcing my sabbatical and gave infrequent updates over the year... I wanted the market to know I took a deliberate year off but havent switched off, and i shared some of my insights over that year. Towards the end I considered and defined what my perfect "reentry job" looked like, the industry, the function, working type, money etc... honestly i didnt think I would find it!... so 11mths in (im now 58) I decide to "have a look whats out there". And scrolled through the Linkedin job board, i swear after 30mins of looking I see a job that looks close to my profile, i dig into the company, and notice an old colleague works there, no surprise I had a connection as I kept focused in my wheelhouse. I called him and got the low down on the job-who was the hiring manager etc etc. I thought I need some practice so I applied, in the meantime he sent an email to the hiring manager to introduce me, we connected on linked in, i sent my cv directly to the hiring manager, and we had a teams call, not strictly an interview just a conversation (feeling the person out), subsequently the hr team caughtup and put me in "the process". I then went through panel interviews, 1:1meetings, and mock presentations. There are ways to handle those. I got an an offer in 4 weeks, and start next week. Apparently over 100 people applied for the role. I'm stoked but understand this is Not the norm. It is a sales job and turnover is high, not for everyone, but some lessons 1) Network using linkedin, 2) even if involuntary redundancy, take some time off and call it a sabbatical, 3) define clearly your "reentry job" that showcases your skills and target those, 4) personalise your cv for EVERY job application,5) try and find the hiring manager and connect someway, 6) dont chase the highest money, I have taken a drop but i have other benefits that are important to me like WFH.. This post is too long now, could share more on interview strategy... but maybe another time. Good luck if you are looking, age is NOT a barrier.

I've noticed many retail outlets are starting hire more older workers in droves.
It seems like more employers are actually preferring to hire older workers. They are mich more dependable and seemingly have a better work ethic

Make video on Networking , how to get know jobs if not listed and how to make best use of it.

Forget 50s , 40s is new 50s , i have face ageism a lot in job search and diffrent race it worse.

Corporations;you are too old,go away!Federal Government we need to raise the retirement age!

35 is the new 65. America sucks at everything that makes life worth living.

I've got were going in another direction.

why hire an "old man" with all the problems of the case, when you can hire a young immigrant, strong and healthy, without family or health problems, for half the average salary?

Depends on the management. If time is important they are willing to pay more to get projects done right on the first try they hire older people. If they want to cut upfront costs and are willing to take longer to do things and don't mind reinventing the wheel, they hire younger workers.

With age comes experience. Good companies know this and they don't want recent graduates with useless degrees. So. Don't give up.

I am 83 years old and I look at least 90...I am no spring chicken......and I had age related job search problems when I was 55... now I have no problem.

The solution is: working on line and getting paid by the product you produce. For instance 'I will keep your books, and do all the tax accounting etc. for you"

I handle industrial systems problems for people.


.. then price yourself at about half of what an employer would have to pay a full time book keeper etc including the benefits and office space ... you will be busy for life.

I am a retired engineer... my income is tax free to 120K but I do have to pay FICA. I work for state side companies but live off shore. thats legal and millions of people do it.

i rent a 3 story 5 br, 5 bath house two miles from Antigua guatemala for a whopping $500 a month....nearly anyone can do it especially if you are retired with SS income and all you need is a little extra spending money.

Biaching an moaning doesn't work, but catching a jet to elsewhere does work. these days with google translate on your phone you do not even need to speak the language.



You can start your on line gig while you are in the US... once its going buy the plane ticket.... rent for the first few years... then buy when you find a decent giant shrimp cocktail for $3 bucks

It's been rough for many baby boomers. I went straight to work out of High School and by age 20, I had passed the state exam and received my journeyman's license and landed a great job in aerospace in 1980. Excellent pay, great benefits and safe working conditions. There were 54 electricians working at that facility when I hired in and only 11 electricians 32 years latter when I was laid off. I was only 53 at the time and was 2 years short of retirements. All of the electricians were let go at that time but they were all much older than me and received a pension. I had saved quite a bit in my 401k so I managed to get by for a few years. I went back to work after about a year of doing nothing. Construction work was all I could find. Even though I was a journeyman electrician with 34 years of experience the only jobs I could find were pure heavy labor. Yes construction electricians work hard doing things like digging ditches, crawling in attics and working in the blazing hot sun. It's hard on an older guy that was used to more skilled assignments that used your brain rather than your back and making less than half the pay. After 2 years of pure torture I gave up and started looking for something less dangerous and I'm still looking. It's not just people over 50 that are suffering. It's not like a kid out of High School can get into the building trades without going through a structured apprentice. When I was a young man you could just go to a construction site and talk to the Forman and he would offer you a job. He would probably have you stack plywood or something simple that took muscle. If you worked hard and didn't complain you got the job. Now you need a masters degree to work at Mc Donald's and your life experiences and training don't apply. I'm 66 now and lost all desire to look for work even if I go hungry. I've totally given up.

I think you overlooked the elephant in the room, and that is one of simple human behavior and attitudes. I have interviewed for many, many positions with panels of MUCH YOUNGER interviewers. I know they would rather hire a peer over someone that is old enough to be their parent (or grandparent).