I’m a 50-year-old British man — I think that’s why I can’t get a job

Across the UK, three quarters of a million over-50s are unemployed.

This week’s Money Problem reader, Tom from Guildford, is among them, having recently been made redundant from his £90,000-a-year job.

In the six months since, the 50-year-old has struggled to get interviews, let alone offers, for any of the roles he’s applied for – and thinks his age, gender and race may be to blame.

Wondering what to do to improve his prospects, Tom reached out Metro consumer champion, Sarah Davidson, for help.

The problem…

I am a 50-year old father of two young girls and I’m unemployed. I have been made redundant twice in the past six years – the first time because the company I worked for moved all its operations to Europe and the last time, six months ago, because the company laid off half of the sales team.

I was one of three major accounts directors and was on a good salary of £90,000. It was hard enough trying to find a similar job with a decent enough salary six years ago. Now, it feels impossible.

There are jobs listed but half the time I get no response to my application at all and I’ve had just two second round interviews in the past six months. It feels like it’s because of my age, my salary expectations and the fact I’m bog-standard British.

My redundancy package was generous and my wife brings in a part-time income but unless I get another job soon, we’re going to be in real trouble. I don’t know what to do?

The answer…

There is an increasingly prevalent viewpoint which argues that reverse discrimination is making it harder for older, white men to get a job.

Statistically though, it doesn’t hold water. 

Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows the UK unemployment rate was 5.1% in July to September 2025. The rate was 4.3% for people from a white ethnic background compared to 8.8% for people from minority ethnic backgrounds, although there was substantial variation between different ethnic minority groups.

And in terms of gender, the economic inactivity rate for women aged 50 to 64 – 30% in 2025, according to the ONS – remains significantly higher compared to men of the same age (22%).

Government analysis does show that unemployment for those aged 50 to 64 has risen from 2.4% in 2024 to 3.1% in 2025, but it’s an ongoing trend, largely driven by the need for everyone to work for longer because we are all living longer. 

Still, I can understand your personal feelings of frustration – trying to find a new job in the current climate is incredibly stressful.

According to provisional ONS figures, December saw the fastest fall in payrolled employment in the past five years, with companies laying off 43,000 salaried employees.

There are various factors impacting this, but the big three are the rise in employer national insurance contributions that the Government slapped on companies in April last year, the rise in the national living wage and the rise in the minimum wage.

This has absolutely hammered company profits and it has directly led to huge numbers of redundancies as a result.

To put it into black and white. In 2024/25 your employer would have had to pay £11,164 in national insurance to employ you on a salary of £90,000. In 2025/26 that bill has gone up to £12,750.

You may have been on a higher salary than most, but this expense applies to all payrolled jobs. Multiply it across thousands of staff and it doesn’t take a genius to work out the simplest way for employers to cut costs. Unfortunately, in your case, that cost is you. And the cut it has left is deep.

So, what should you do?

You’ve got several options long-term but one thing you need to get sorted in the meantime is preparing for when your redundancy money runs out.

If you haven’t already, sit down with your partner and make a comprehensive budget, with everything you spend each month – essentials and non-essentials – on one side and what your monthly income will be each month on the other.

Include in this any benefits you may be able to claim, as it’s likely you’re eligible for several, including jobseeker’s allowance, universal credit, and child benefit (if you’re not already registered given your previous salary is over the threshold).

Citizen’s Advice is a great place to start – they’ll help you work out what you can claim and help you with the forms and process. You could also get a quick idea by using a benefits calculator such as entitledto, Turn2us or Policy in Practice.

Look at the nice-to-haves and be ruthless about stopping any subscriptions or spending that isn’t essential.

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Then, contact your energy, internet, phone and other similar providers now and explain the situation. Same applies for your mortgage or rent and any loans or credit cards you have. StepChange and National Debtline both offer free and confidential advice on how best to approach them.

They may well put you on a payment plan that reduces your bills for the moment and, when your income recovers, you can go back to paying the full amount. Don’t forget to do this either – you’ll probably pay more long-term if you don’t go back up to what you actually owe as soon as you can.

You may also be able to apply for a council tax reduction through your local council if you’re claiming universal credit.

Next, get some money coming in quickly – things like cleaning, gardening, babysitting, tutoring, dog walking or delivery driving are in demand and pay reasonably well. You’re not going to be earning what you were, but it’s better than nothing in the short term.

Registering with temp agencies may also be a good idea. Given so many companies are laying off staff, there’s a market for outsourced cover.

Keep persevering with your job search (after all, just because it’s taking time, doesn’t mean it won’t happen) but retraining, switching career entirely, or going self-employed are options you might want to consider too.

While it’s easy to feel at 50 that you’re committed to what you have always done, remember, you have 30 years of experience working with people and solving problems. Those skills are needed everywhere.

Good luck!

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