Australians who lose their jobs after the age of 50 often struggle to find work again.
Ageism is still a problem in Australia and the Reserve Bank’s most aggressive rate hikes since the late 1980s are likely to push unemployment higher.
Technology provides greater job security and the age of artificial intelligence seems likely to favor younger workers who understand algorithms.
But office staff recruitment firm Robert Half says older workers are surprisingly in demand, even in unexpected fields like technology.
Andrew Brushfield, the agency’s Asia Pacific director, said employers often prefer older workers because of their experience and maturity.
“They are actually preferred over other people,” he says.
‘They have a wealth of experience, they can generally manage themselves, they can look at their history and their experiences and say, “This worked well here, this didn’t work well here” and they can apply knowledge to the circumstances they were hired for .
‘The fact that they are over fifty is not relevant for many employers.’
Australians who lose their jobs after age 50 often struggle to find another job
There is also hope for older workers who have been retrenched, as Robert Half has helped older job seekers find new professional pathways in the competitive job markets in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
“There’s a bit of a prejudice that if you cut above 50 you’ll be in trouble and won’t get another job, but there are opportunities there,” Mr Brushfield says.
Technology project managers
Mr Brushfield says over-50s are often sought after within the technology sector, despite the stereotype that older workers struggle with technology.
‘Can you argue that there is an advanced technology that a 55-year-old is less aware of than, say, a 25-year-old? “Probably,” he says.
Andrew Brushfield, Asia Pacific director at Robert Half, said employers often prefer older workers because of their experience and maturity
“But for the most part, let’s assume their skills are relevant.”
Mr Brushfield says older workers with project management skills are particularly in demand as companies look to install new software programs.
“We see a huge demand for people with experience running projects, implementing those new systems or updating that system,” he says.
Data from employment website Seek shows project managers in NSW earn $130,000 to $150,000, which is significantly higher than the average full-time salary in Australia of $100,017.
There is also a lot of demand for older employees with short-term contracts.
“People who have had experience running projects or project implementation earlier in their careers can move into running these projects or project work for six months, 12 months, 24 months,” he explains.
There are university degrees and even TAFE courses in project management for those who want to upskill.
Salary Officers
Employees with payroll administration experience can continue working after age 50, especially if they can demonstrate the ability to work independently with little supervision.
‘It is very risky for a company to deal with a highly emotional subject such as people’s compensation. That’s why companies typically have people who guide and oversee the process themselves, rather than relying entirely on automation,” says Mr Brushfield.
Technology provides greater job security and the age of artificial intelligence seems likely to find favor with younger workers who understand algorithms
“I’m not saying that the size of a payroll team, for the sake of argument, is the same as it was 20 years ago, because it’s not – they’re probably smaller – but there’s certainly still a need for people with those skills. ‘
Payroll clerk jobs have an average pay level of $75,000 to $90,000, with people in this role often studying accounting at university or obtaining a degree in payroll administration.
Office administration
Older workers with secretarial skills are often preferred in office administrative positions, which include everything from human resources to personal assistants.
They are also considered less fickle, making them more reliable in handling confidential business information.
Executive assistants have average salaries of $95,000 to $115,000, with professionals completing a Bachelor of Business Administration degree for this role.
Customer service jobs
Retailers are struggling to recruit customer service representatives as there are fewer European tourists on work visas since Australia reopened in 2021.
This means that the workforce for this type of work is smaller than before the pandemic.
“Good customer service people are very, very hard to find,” says Mr. Brushfield.
‘Even though we’re getting a lot of immigration, what we’re still not seeing is the flow of travelers in their 20s who have historically done a lot of customer service work for us – those types of people are not back at a level where we see demand being met .’
Mr Brushfield says over-50s are often sought after in the tech world because their project management skills are useful
Older workers are considered particularly qualified compared to younger workers because of their enthusiasm.
“Over-50s are very well received because they value the job, they want the job and they enjoy doing it,” Mr Brushfield says.
‘We now notice that the real strength of seniors is customer service, because they have years of experience in dealing with people and often have more perseverance and dedication.’
Although it is a lower-paying industry, the average full-time salary of $75,634 would be sufficient for an older worker who has paid off their mortgage.
Tax accountants
Mr Brushfield says tax accountants of all ages are in high demand.
‘People over 50 have those skills,’ he explains.
“They can do that on demand, because the current legislation in 2024 is not drastically different from the legislation in 2014 or 2004.”
In Sydney, accountants have average salaries of $75,000 to $90,000, with those in this profession having a degree in accounting.