Australians who lose their jobs after the age of 50 often struggle to find work again.
Age discrimination is still an issue in Australia and the Reserve Bank’s most aggressive rate hikes since the late 1980s are likely to see unemployment rise even higher.
Technology is upending job security and the era of artificial intelligence looks likely to favour younger workers who understand algorithms.
But white-collar recruitment agency Robert Half says older workers are surprisingly highly-sought after – even in unexpected fields such as 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 tells me.
‘They’ve got a bank of experience, they can typically self-manage, they are able to look at their history and their experience and say, “This worked well here, this didn’t work well here” and they can apply knowledge to the circumstances they’re hired for.
‘The fact they’re over 50 is irrelevant to many employers out there.’
Australians who lose their jobs after the age of 50 often struggle to find another position
There is also hope for older workers who are retrenched, with Robert Half having helped senior job-seekers find new professional pathways in competitive job markets in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
‘There’s a bit of a preconception that if you get retrenched over 50, you’re in trouble, you’re not going to get another job, but there are opportunities there,’ Mr Brushfield says.
Technology project managers
Mr Brushfield says over-50s are often wanted within the tech space despite the stereotype about older workers struggling with technology.
‘Could you argue that there’s some cutting-edge technology that a 55-year-old is less aware of than say a 25-year-old? You probably could,’ he says.
Andrew Brushfield, Robert Half’s Asia-Pacific director, said employers often preferred older workers because of their experience and maturity
‘But, for the most part, let’s assume that their skillsets are relevant.’
Mr Brushfield says older workers with project-management skills are particularly in demand as companies seek to install new software programs.
‘We’re seeing a huge demand for people with experience to run projects, to implement those new systems or to update that system,’ he tells me.
Data from employment website Seek shows project managers in NSW earn $130,000 to $150,000, which is significantly higher than Australia’s average, full-time salary of $100,017.
Older workers who can work short-term contracts are also in-demand.
‘People who’ve had experience in running projects or project implementation earlier in their career can transition 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 looking to upskill.
Payroll officers
Workers with experience in payroll can also walk into a job after 50, especially if they are able to demonstrate an ability to work independently with little supervision.
‘It’s very risky for a company to deal with the very emotional topic like people’s pay, so companies typically have people to supervise and oversee the process themselves rather than rely entirely on automation,’ Mr Brushfield says.
Technology is upending job security and the era of artificial intelligence looks likely to favour younger workers who understand algorithms
‘I’m not saying that the size of a payroll team, for argument’s sake, is the same as it was 20 years ago because it’s not – they’re probably smaller – but there is still definitely a need for people with those skills.’
Payroll officer jobs have average pay levels of $75,000 to $90,000, with people in this role often studying accountancy at university or completing a diploma in payroll services.
Office administration
Mature-age workers with secretarial skills are often preferred in office admin roles, covering everything from human resources to personal assistants.
They are also regarded as less fickle, making them more reliable in handling confidential corporate information.
Executive assistants command average salaries of $95,000 to $115,000, with professionals completing a Bachelor of Business Administration for this role.
Customer service jobs
Retail outlets are struggling to recruit customer service officers, with fewer European tourists on working visas since Australia reopened in 2021.
This means the labour pool for this kind of work is smaller than it was before the pandemic.
‘Customer service people who are good are very, very hard to find,’ Mr Brushfield says.
‘Even though we are getting lots of immigration, what we’re still not seeing is the flow of travellers that are in their twenties that historically have done lots of customer service work for us – those types of people aren’t back at levels that we’re seeing demand being met.’
Mr Brushfield says over-50s are often wanted in the tech space because their project-management skills are helpful
Older workers are regarded as particularly suitable due to their enthusiasm compared to younger workers.
‘Over-50s are received very well because they value the job, they want the job, they’re happy to do the job,’ Mr Brushfield tells me.
‘We’re finding right now, the real strength of senior people is customer services because they have years of experience in dealing with people and quite often they have more persistence and commitment.’
While a lower-paid sector, the average, full-time salary of $75,634 would be adequate for an older worker who has paid off their mortgage.
Tax accountants
Mr Brushfield says tax accountants of all ages are in demand.
‘The over-50s, they’ve got those skills in their pocket,’ he explains.
‘They can do that on call because current legislation in 2024 is not drastically different to 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 accountancy.
