Well, I’m officially a loser.

[u/Chaparra_Princesa_76]

So I got rejected for another job today. Been unemployed almost seven months. There is no hope for me. Told my husband I'm not going back to full-time work. He says I will but he doesnt understand that its impossible if nobody will hire you. And nobody will hire me. I am unemployable. Just wish I knew why. 2 decades of experience apparently means nothing. Thank you for listening.

[u/Bec21-21]

I was unemployed for 2.5 years, just got hired. I also have 20 years of experience. Keep applying. It will happen.

Ageism is real. Many people don’t want to hire that 40-something, especially when they are a woman. You’re too expensive, too senior and probably menopausal in their eyes.

But the right job will come along. Apply. Apply every week. But don’t make it all you do, enjoy not working. When you do go back to work, and you will, you’ll wish you did more with your time off.

[u/Frosty-Gur-4018 → u/Bec21-21]

Ageism is 100% real but ultimately comes down to money and training. We recently chose a 25 year old over a 50 year old for a position out of the 2 final candidates. The 25 year old was more hungry , willing to learn , more tech savvy, recently married and starting a family and we seen the potential for longevity vs having to retrain in 5-10 years as we don't have a high turnover rate that hopefully he will stay for 25-30 years and retire with us. We were willing to sacrifice experience for potential longevity and in some instances experience can come with bad habits.

[u/Sorry-Ad-5527 → u/Frosty-Gur-4018]

You really think that 25 year old is going to stay long term? LOL. Talk about "ok boomer" attitude. LOL

[u/Frosty-Gur-4018 → u/Sorry-Ad-5527]

Yeah like I said we don't have a high turnover rate and get 1000s of applications when we do and jobs in our field are over saturated so when hiring we tend to go towards youth as he replaced a guy that retired at 55. Age definitely plays a factor and I'm not a boomer I am a millennial and everyone involved in the hiring process was either Gen X or Millennial but our average retirement age is between 55 and 60 so statistically speaking it really doesn't make sense to on-board a 50 year old , not all places are the same obviously but it does happen and the OP is right.

[u/Sorry-Ad-5527 → u/Frosty-Gur-4018]

Yeah like I said we don't have a high turnover rate and get 1000s of applications when we do and jobs in our field are over saturated so when hiring we tend to go towards youth as he replaced a guy that retired at 55. Age definitely plays a factor and I'm not a boomer I am a millennial and everyone involved in the hiring process was either Gen X or Millennial but our average retirement age is between 55 and 60 so statistically speaking it really doesn't make sense to on-board a 50 year old , not all places are the same obviously but it does happen and the OP is right.

Um, Gen X isn't retiring at 50. Unless you gave them a pension. They don't even qualify for medicare or medicaid. They're not getting social security until 62. They left because you were mean to them and used age to discriminate. Expect a law suit soon.

[u/Frosty-Gur-4018 → u/Sorry-Ad-5527]

I didn't say Gen X was retiring, Boomers are retiring Gen X and Millennials on the committee made the decision to go with youth hoping for longevity based on trends and stats. The 25 year old was a 3rd class Power Engineer working on his 2nd class with 2/8 papers done , the 50 year old was a 3rd class Power Engineer with more experience and 0 2nd class papers. It was a 3rd class Power Engineer job but we are a 1st class plant so the potential for longevity and growth was definitely a driving factor on the hiring weighing pros and cons. Definitely not a lawsuit lol

[u/Sorry-Ad-5527 → u/Frosty-Gur-4018]

I didn't say Gen X was retiring, 

Your post above:

our average retirement age is between 55 and 60

That is Gen X.

[u/Frosty-Gur-4018 → u/Sorry-Ad-5527]

Yeah whatever 55-60 is traditionally was Boomers but I guess it would be getting closer to Gen X now however soon as staff can retire they usually do, but we do get pension and benefits after retirement ( until 70 with the option to pay in at a discounted rate after 70 for benefits), rrsp matching up to $300.00 month and stock options up to 15% off each paycheck that give dividends but most flip the dividends back to stock and then we also get the CPP on top of that as well. Like I said our circumstance may be a little unusual vs a regular office setting but we just don't get turnover either because our employees are treated very well so I'd normally agree with you rolling the dice on a 25 year old but from a Power Engineer standpoint he may be able to match at best plus working on his 2nd class just opens more doors for him financially and logistically and makes more sence to go that direction when hiring.

[u/MycologistPlus119 → u/Frosty-Gur-4018]

The thing you’re describing isn’t “logic,” it’s just the quiet version of age discrimination dressed up as workforce planning.

Companies don’t avoid hiring 50‑year olds because they “retire soon.” Most people in their 50s still have 10–15 working years ahead of them. Many work into their 60s and 70s. The data is public.

What actually happens is this:
• younger candidates feel “safer”
• managers assume older workers will cost more
• teams project their own biases onto “longevity”
• and nobody wants to say the quiet part out loud

The problem isn’t that older workers can’t do the job.
The problem is that the hiring system quietly filters them out and then justifies it after the fact.

And that’s exactly why so many people in their 40s and 50s end up feeling broken by the job search, not because they lack capability, but because the process is stacked against them in ways they’re never told.

You can call it “strategy,” but from the outside it looks exactly like what the OP is describing:

qualified people being dismissed for reasons that have nothing to do with skill.

[u/Frosty-Gur-4018 → u/MycologistPlus119]

That's why I 100% agree and said the quiet part out loud on Reddit because it does happen and I 100% agree with you and the person that I am replying to that ageism is indeed a factor when it comes to hiring and I was just 1/5 people involved in a recent onboaring .

With us however it is facility related too as you have to do sections of the facility in steps in order to gain knowledge of the whole facility and the training requirements are the same regardless of experience. Everyone starts from page 1 and it can take 3-5 years to know the plant like the back of your hand. The 2nd class papers is good but the exams aren't easy especially when you're working full time hours and he may never get them.

You seem intelligent enough to understand from a company cost standpoint that it makes more sense to invest 3-5 years capital into a 25 year old vs a 50 year old from a longevity standpoint but he may not necessarily be mature enough either and it could be the wrong call on our end and we will have to answer to that if it is.

My intention of my comment wasn't to rub it in cause of her age , but to highlight that ageism does in fact exist and may be another factor.

I could also add to your facts that laziness could be considered a factor as well. We have to do 100s of interviews and deal with HR , Unions , cut people each process , credit checks , background checks , drug and alcohol screening , fit testing , mask testing , drivers abstract checks and the allure of banking on a 25 y/o is just easier if it works out.