48.8 Percent of Women aged 55 to 64 are Among the Long-term Unemployed

[Chava61]

Originally Posted by MrRational

Nope. They may have HAD the time but their 'leisure' period was wasted or at least not used well.
They don't have the time for school NOW. They need to take what jobs they can get now ...as they should have then.

As to assumptions... I'm assuming their ego wouldn't let them take the lesser position.
The question is how the rent was paid and the groceries purchased during this interim.

Again I disagree with you. A person in their 50s usually has the time to study whether they are working or not. (For example I know someone who just was fired at this age level but has been doing a second M.A. online during the last few years while working at the same time.)

Sometimes people with higher qualifications will not be offered lesser positions especially if the person has a higher degree of education (master's or Ph.D).

Their interim basic living expenses could have been paid with savings that they accumulated from former jobs that they had.

[Heidi60]

I have been taking classes for many years just to keep up with what is going and keep my brain working. If I let a year or so go by without, I feel like I'm mentally starving so I take anything I can just to keep learning. It is amazing how the younger people's experience in the world takes a different perspective than mine, which is enlightening. Although I have met and done classwork with many wonderful young people, I'm here to tell you that there many who don't want you in the workplace and will work to get rid of you so they can have their friends hired. Many of us grew up in a more polite society but things have changed. I wonder whether some of the young girls in particular take out their mother issues on all older women. The work place for the older workers isn't always a fun but never stop learning and taking classes, but do it for you and follow your own passion. The money will follow.

[goodlife36]

Originally Posted by MrRational

anecdotes about exceptins situations don't help the majority.


Nope. That's the question you want to think solves anything. It doesn't.

Will you accept that at 55 there's no excuse to have not accumulated some useful skills?
And at 55 (or older) there's really no more time to start 'upgrading' to ay extent?

The question is how to use those skills and personality traits to get hired into *something*
and/or to then parley them into the better than good enough job.

For most it will mean going DOWN the job title scale.
The "accountant" taking on "bookkeeping" work and similar to get in.
From there it's about impressing the decision makers to take a chance.

But even then it's still far more about not getting laid off at some later point
rather than hoping let alone expecting any real advancement.

I do not agree with your assessment. Discrimination is a part of life. Many of us do not have to wait until we are older to understand the cards are stacked against us. While I am not 55, I am not 25. I am afraid but life has never been easy for me anyway.

As we get older, we have to reinvent ourselves. Back in the day, you could work at the same company for your entire career and retire with a pension. We do not have these options today.

I read an interesting article of how to spruce up your resume to throw off prospective employers. I am going to do whatever I can to stay in employed and earn a good salary. I have no choice because I am single. If I find a proper partner, I would not worry as much but time will tell.