Official: You're too old at 57 to get a job

OFFICIAL : YOU’RE TOO OLD AT 57 TO GET A JOB

Steve T is an IT professional living in outer London. Aged 55 he still considers himself in “mid-career”. He’s had a successful career managing big  IT departments in both the public and private sector. Early last year he was made redundant from his role with a consultancy. He’d worked there for three years but no reason was given. He’d achieved high performance ratings in each year so inevitably suffered from plummeting from “hero to zero.” But used to career transition with redundancy, the frequent cost cutting exercises and managerial transformations, he headed relatively upbeat into the job market thinking his experience and enthusiasm would serve him well.

He came up against a  harsh job market. Endless meetings with recruitment agencies with no immediate jobs apparent, pointless applications where he never heard the outcome, and daily six-hour stints glued to the jobs boards. He rapidly saw that he wasn’t getting a look in due to his age. Algorithms in longlisting efficiently squeezed him out though he’ done everything to mask his age. He ferociously networked and looked at more junior less well-paid jobs, but nothing came forward. Ten months later an offer popped up – a contract for three days per week with a company sorting out significant IT problems which he grasped  with open arms. But a ten-month toll using his savings as income,  plus a dent to his confidence.

Steve is one of the lucky older workers. He’s resourceful, has a great Linkedin presence, knows how to navigate the job market, an adept user of AI. His recruitment crime was to be born in 1970. He’s now experienced ageism in recruitment with the tales to tell. But many older workers are not in the same position – they don’t have the resilience and skills to compete in the job market and suffer from under confidence when confronted with the pernicious effect of ageism.

Wise Age is a specialist London based charity with a long track record of helping older workers, developing age friendly workplaces and putting pressure on policy makers to develop employment policies for the over 50s. Pre pandemic it was looking at continuing to increase older people working past 60, but now is tackling the more challenging job market facing older workers with the big buzz words – “economically inactivity”. Economic inactivity in London is 20.1 % and declining though but still high for older workers.

It’s always difficult to generalise about older workers but structural inequalities explain a lot about employment outcomes. For example, workers of Pakistani ethnicity aged 50 to 64 have an employment rate of 53.3%, compared to 77.3% for those from other Asian backgrounds. And 2 in 5 BME women over 50 are economic inactive. Disabled older people have low rates of employment. In terms of education and skills – those with  degree-level qualifications have an employment rate of 78.6%, compared to 45% without qualifications. The fundamental  problem is that many don’t get the support - only 1 in 10 of  50-64s out of work engage in back to work support (as not claiming benefits).

The value of Wise Age is that it shines a spotlight on over 50s working in London. It mines the latest employment figures for older workers, gleans the lessons from latest research as well as listening to the direct experiences of older workers it helps on the ground. Its work falls into four areas.

 First is specialist advice for the over 50s particularly the unemployed and those at a distance from the labour market. This employment support is tailored to the needs of over 50s and increasingly addresses health and wellbeing issues impeding employment prospects. Wise Age has traditionally  worked in some east London Boroughs so has a detailed knowledge of the diverse inner-city problems and increasingly poverty risks for older workers. Key is working closely with excluded groups particularly those facing multiple barriers. Some of this work has been funded by the DWP as well as the Trust for London.

The second area is “training the trainers.” DWP and London Boroughs are developing schemes to support older workers. Two of the sub-regional partnerships (groups of London Boroughs) across London are the trailblazers to get more economically inactive back to work in line with the Government’s Get Britain Working White Paper. But it’s vital those drawing up new schemes fully understand the very varied needs of older workers. Wise Age has fed into the GLA’s No Wrong Door initiative to prevent barriers to support to those out of work.

Thirdly, Wise Age works with employers to stimulate and advise on age friendly policies, better inclusive recruitment, and key  employment legislation. There are some glimpses of  awareness of the importance of age in terms of benefits as well as planning for an ageing workforce. But diversity policies mainly focus on gender and race - only 18% focussed on age diversity and inclusion.

Finally,  Wise Age is involved in influencing and advocacy in London. It advised on the GLA’s Age Friendly Action Plan on employment and has just advised on the GLA’s Growth Mission. It’s key in London and elsewhere there is a body like Wise Age to act as the champion for older workers and ensure that they get fully recognised in policy making as well as concrete support. According to a survey by Totaljobs, 57 is the average  age at which candidates are considered ‘too old’ by employers. The challenges continue!

Tim Whitaker is a Trustee of Wise Age Wise Age | The Over 50's Employment Support Charity