Older jobseekers face more challenges than ever

New research by Jobsite shows jobseekers aged 55–64 are twice as likely to be looking for a job due to redundancy than their younger counterparts.

Almost half (47%) of jobseekers in this age group are unemployed, 13% more than younger candidates.

Jobsite’s recently published study of 17,000 candidates highlights the experiences of older jobseekers in the process of searching for a new role. Its findings show that those in the 55–64 age group are twice as likely to be looking for a job because of a redundancy and most likely to have been looking for work for over two years.

The urgency behind their search is clear: older candidates were found to be 15% more likely to be searching for jobs several times a day and are 50% more likely to take over a year to secure a new position.

Digging deeper, Jobsite discovered that the worst part of the job search for older candidates is the lack of feedback (66%), with 53% even claiming they never or rarely received any feedback following their applications.

While perceived higher wage bills could be a factor in disqualifying older candidates, the study showed the 55–64 age group were considerably less likely to be seeking more money (-29%) and career progression (-67%) from their next role, compared the average jobseeker. Meanwhile, this age group were more likely than younger groups to be looking for jobs closer to home (+15%) or which offered the chance to work remotely (+30%) or flexibly (+30%).

The results of this study have prompted Jobsite to partner with industry experts to produce a definitive guide to navigating the job market for older candidates: The UK’s untapped resource – a guide to age and the workplace.

Jobsite CEO, Nick Gold, said: “It’s disappointing to find that older candidates are having a more difficult time in the job market. As a market-leading job board, we ensure date of birth capture is never mandatory to prevent the possibility of discrimination in the application process.

“With the retirement age set to rise, giving us longer in our careers than ever, it’s essential for business that crucial segments of the workforce aren’t neglected. We hope our new jobseeker guide will help address these challenges head-on to give older workers the best chance possible to find a job they love. Also, with thousands of new vacancies going live on Jobsite every day, we would urge candidates to continue to pursue their aspirations.”