Bradley Richardson claims he’s too previous to get employed.

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The 58-year-old Gen Xer shared this realization in a July 24 Instagram reel. “I’m in my 50s, and I just had the realization that I may never ever get hired again. I will make money, but I may never be an employee or get a job ever again because of my age,” he mentioned. The submit has almost 30 thousand likes and over 4 thousand feedback.

Social media customers replying to the submit asserted that ageism is actual. And intersections of race, gender, and sexuality amplify challenges for older job-seekers. Many shared that they’re struggling to safe work and suspect ageism is accountable. 

Other Gen X and Boomer commenters shared that their expertise are nonetheless in demand, and that corporations that worth work ethic and expertise prioritize hiring older staff. Workers of their 50s and 60s talked about that self-employment has made them more cash than they’d ever make as an worker at an organization.

Younger commenters, nonetheless, disagreed. Overwhelmingly, millennials within the feedback replied that Richardson and different 50-year-old white males complaining in regards to the job market are a bunch of entitled whiners.  

@Bobbythirdway posted to X, “If you’re 50 and can’t find a job, then you just suck at life. Practically every job posting right now is a director/manager-level position that requires 10+ years of experience. The job market is nonexistent, EXCEPT for people like you.”

“In my 50s, and I may never get hired again.”

“I may never work again. I may never have a job again,” Richardson mentioned in his reel. Despite his expertise and expertise, Richardson mentioned ageism works towards him as a result of recruiters and hiring managers discriminate towards individuals over 50.

He defined that he expects to proceed earning money, however doesn’t assume it’s sensible to imagine he’ll be employed once more. “The fact of the matter is, I very likely have aged out,” Richardson mentioned.

Richardson’s reel resonated with Gen X and Boomer audiences who mentioned ageism presents an actual battle for older individuals on the job market.

“My wife is 55 and applied to 700 jobs and has only been called for 7 interviews. She’s really good at what she does, and it’s shocking how she’s struggling.”

“No one wants you after 55, but the government raised retirement to 67 years 🤬.”

X customers mentioned individuals of their 50s struggling to search out employment have nobody accountable however themselves

Richardson’s reel was crossposted to X the place it has 3.9 million views and 1.4 thousand feedback. X customers commenting on by @financedystop’s repost confirmed little sympathy for Richardson. Commenters mentioned that older generations—particularly white males like Richardson—had plentiful alternatives to build up wealth in the course of the affluent interval that spanned from the Eighties by the early 2000s.    

@Breadddmaan on X wrote the next: “If you’re a boomer and didn’t take advantage of the best stock market, housing market, and wealth accumulation phase from the 80s-2020s, then that’s a skill issue, no one feels sorry for you. Be a Walmart greeter, you should be retired. You could have bought amzn and appl in single digits 😭and a house for 150k.”

“The problem with 50+ is they usually act as they know everything, and are not willing to change. This guy is an exact example—he says, ‘I’m an entrepreneur forever,’ which already tells me he does not want the job and is not willing to change because he knows how to do things by himself.”

80% of staff 40—65 have skilled ageism within the office

In 2025, Gen Xers are between 45 and 60 years previous. The technology is hit exhausting by challenges, together with a troublesome post-pandemic job market and speedy technological change. According to a 2022 AARP survey, round 80% of staff between the ages of 40 and 65 “witnessed or personally faced age discrimination at work.” AARP reported it’s the highest recorded quantity because it started surveying in 2003.

Because Boomers are conserving their jobs later in life, senior positions are sometimes unavailable to Gen X staff. This places Gen X in a uniquely troublesome place as a result of though they’re over-qualified for a lot of positions, they will lose out to jobs crammed by millennials and digital natives who’re perceived to be extra tech-savvy. 

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