50-year old realizes he may never get hired again: “The fact of the matter is, I very likely have aged out”

Bradley Richardson, claims he’s too old to get hired. 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 said. The post has nearly 30 thousand likes and over 4 thousand comments.

‘In my 50s, and I may never get hired again.’

“I may never work again. I may never have a job again,” Richardson said in his reel. Despite his skills and experience, Richardson said ageism works against him because recruiters and hiring managers discriminate against people over 50. He explained that he expects to continue making money but doesn’t think it’s realistic to assume he’ll be hired again. “The fact of the matter is, I very likely have aged out,” Richardson said.

Richardson’s reel resonated with Gen X and Boomer audiences who said ageism presents a real struggle for older people 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 users said people in their 50s struggling to find employment have no one to blame but themselves

Richardson’s reel was crossposted to X where it has 3.9 million views and 1.4 thousand comments. X users commenting on by @financedystop’s repost showed little sympathy for Richardson. Commenters said older generations—especially white men like Richardson—had abundant opportunities to stack cash in the prosperous period that spanned from the 1980s through the early 2000s.

“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 workers 40—65 have experienced ageism in the workplace

In 2025, Gen Xers are between 45 and 60 years old. The generation is hit hard by challenges including a difficult post-pandemic job market and rapid technological change. According to a 2022 AARP survey, around 80% of workers between the ages of 40 and 65 “witnessed or personally faced age discrimination at work.” AARP reported it is the highest recorded number since it began surveying in 2003.

Because Boomers are keeping their jobs later in life, senior positions are often unavailable to Gen X workers. This puts Gen X in a uniquely difficult position because although they’re over-qualified for many positions, they can lose out to jobs filled by millennials and digital natives who are perceived to be more tech-savvy.

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