Unemployed Workers 55 to 64 Average Over Eight Months Without a Job

The headline numbers look fine. As of September, older workers had lower unemployment rates than younger workers. When they were jobless, the median length of that spell was also shorter. Business Insider reports that these figures hide a worse trend at the long end.

A median of three months means half of unemployed older workers had been jobless for less than that so far. An average above eight months means a smaller group has been out far longer, pulling the average up. According to the report, the gap between the average and the median has widened in recent months. That suggests the longest searches may be getting longer.

The size of that group is not small. In September, about 173,000 unemployed Americans aged 55 to 64 had been out of work for at least six months, according to the report.

A Bureau of Labor Statistics analysis, cited by Business Insider, shows the rehiring gap. Among workers aged 55 to 64 who lost long-held jobs between 2023 and 2025, 57% had found new jobs as of January 2026. For workers aged 25 to 54 who lost longheld jobs in the same period, the figure was 73%. The source notes that some older workers may have taken their job loss as a sign to retire, so not every displaced worker in the 57% comparison is still looking for work.

The article does not prove why this happens. Several older job seekers told Business Insider they suspect age discrimination. One Denver operations manager in his 60s said employers may worry he will not stay in the workforce long. Others pointed to pay. A former Big Tech employee in her early 60s said younger candidates may accept lower salaries and fewer benefits. These are personal accounts, not findings.

The report also says some research suggests age discrimination plays a role in hiring. It adds that proving it in any single case is extremely difficult, and that older job seekers often have no clear way to address it.

For employers, the strategic reading is a matter of risk and opportunity. The source describes experienced workers who are available and, in some cases, taking jobs far below their earlier pay. One 61-year-old former transformation lead now works as a prep cook and says she earns about an eighth of her previous salary. A software engineer in his early 60s took a part-time cashier job after 18 months of searching. The source does not say how employers value such candidates. It also does not show that any company has broken hiring law. Firms that screen on age, directly or through proxies such as salary history or expected tenure, may face legal and reputational exposure. That is an interpretation, not a finding in the article.

The costs to individuals are documented. The Denver job seeker said he struggled to pay bills and filed for bankruptcy this year. A 58-year-old tech communications worker, laid off more than five times, said repeated gaps left him with little savings. He is building AI skills to adapt.

What to watch next

Whether the gap between average and median unemployment duration for workers 55 to 64 keeps widening in coming monthly data, and whether the share of long-held-job losers who find new work improves from the 57% reported in January.

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