Aged over 50, experienced and looking for work. Will employers bite?
Mature jobseekers finding it tough to find employment.
Raj Bharij, who lost his job in 2026 as a global bank restructured, has been actively searching for a new position for six months. Despite submitting over 100 applications, he has received "instant" rejections from some firms' automated systems and no response from others. An AI chatbot even suggested he add five years to his age in an attempt to refine his resume.
Bharij and other older jobseekers believe that their extensive experience may be hindering their job search. Singapore's government plans to raise the retirement age to 65 and re-employment age to 70 from January 2029, which will see the workforce age share increase from 40% in 2025 to more. Gurmit Singh Kullar, who left his marketing director position in 2024 due to burnout, found that marketing roles often combine multiple responsibilities, diminishing the value of his experience.
He applied to over 200 openings but mostly received no response. Hiring managers sometimes questioned his extensive experience, asking if it wouldn't be better for him to have someone with more recent qualifications. Older workers are experiencing a longer job search period, with only 42% of people in their 50s and 39% over 60 finding new work six months after a layoff, compared to 61% for those in their 40s.
Research shows that 47% of employers surveyed are likely to hire workers in their 50s, while 33% are unlikely to do so for those aged 60 and above. Despite the challenges, recruiters like Kirsty Poltock believe there are still opportunities for older jobseekers, especially in contract work where their experience can be valuable.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
