The Untapped Power of Midlife Workers in a Changing Economy

One in four members of the public think that the popular music festival Glastonbury would be better if it had fewer people aged 50 and above attending, according to a survey by the UK Centre for Ageing Better. More than one-third of people think a 60-year-old is too old to jump around in a mosh pit or slide in the mud. Is this a reinforcement of the adage “there’s no fool like an old fool” or a reflection of how society views anyone in later life?

Even the World Health Organization has identified ageism as a global challenge. Its 2021 report concluded that every second person in the world is believed to hold ageist attitudes. For many seeking work in midlife, those attitudes translate into career consequences: a U.K. poll found that nearly twenty percent of workers say they’ve missed out on work opportunities after turning 50. 

Of course, older workers face challenges that extend beyond the workplace. People in their late 40s to 60s, known as “midlifers,” are more likely to juggle complex personal responsibilities: caring for aging parents, supporting their teenagers, managing their own health issues or dealing with layoffs and workplace disillusionment. 

Although it’s likely not their first time being out of work, many midlife job seekers report a sense of hopelessness in the face of regular rejection. Equally, experience isn’t always rewarded. Ironically, the same experience once considered an essential prerequisite for the newly educated who struggle to get a foot in the door becomes a perceived liability later in life. 

Global and economic pressures

In a strained global labor market, governments are under pressure to keep more people employed. Countries like the Netherlands, Switzerland and Iceland boast an 80 percent employment rate and have a much higher workforce participation among people aged 55 to 64. By contrast, more than half of the three million people in the U.K. currently out of work due to long-term illness or disability are aged 50 to 65, and 42 percent of the 1.2 million individuals with long-standing health conditions that want to return to work also fall within this age group. 

In the U.S., older workers are staying in the workforce longer than ever. The share of Americans aged 65 and older who remain employed has reached historic highs, driven by rising living costs, divorce and inadequate retirement savings. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the median U.S. retirement account balance for workers approaching retirement is a mere $10,000. 

With the global labour market under pressure from technological changes and economic and geopolitical instability, employers need to consider reskilling, upskilling and redeployment initiatives that can deliver an inclusive workforce of the future.

The benefits of midlife workers

Here are three reasons why employers should shake off the stigma that midlifers are expensive and less nimble:

Midlifers offer a competitive advantage

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, thriving in today’s work environment requires a balance of hard and soft skills. Among the top-ranked core competencies are resilience, flexibility, agility, leadership and social influence—qualities that underscore the value of technical proficiency, strong interpersonal abilities, emotional intelligence and a commitment to continuous learning. These are areas where midlife professionals often excel. Forty-seven percent of the 1,000 global employers surveyed said they are expanding talent pipelines by tapping into more diverse talent pools, four times the share from just two years ago.

Contrary to stereotype, it’s not only employers who appreciate the skills of the midlifer. A survey by Hilton found that 77 percent of Gen Z employees believe they can learn from older colleagues, particularly in areas where workers over 50 tend to excel like leadership (44 percent), problem solving (40 percent), communication (39 percent) and organizational skills (39 percent).

Midlifers could reinvent typical recruitment models

Midlifers tend to have one quality that appeals to most employers seeking to drive down the cost of employment: loyalty. Certainty around their skill base can benefit employers. A People Insight study found that 77 percent of workers aged 50 to 59 plan to stay with their current employer for the next two years, compared to 57 percent of those aged 18 to 29, even as older workers report receiving less professional development and recognition than their younger peers.

A practical solution could come in the form of “silver internships,” short-term roles lasting three, six or twelve months that allow midlifers to bring their valuable experience to a company at a manageable cost. These silver interns could take on one-off projects or support multiple departments across a range of tasks. In this way, companies can benefit from experienced hires and midlifers can make effective contributions without the burden of age-related bias. 

Midlifers adapt to boost collaboration and innovation

Midlife professionals often engage in community work or nonprofit support. In the U.K., 29 percent of those aged 65 to 74 volunteer at least once a month. In the U.S., baby boomers have the highest rate of informal, community-based volunteering (59 percent) of all generations, while Gen X, those aged 45 to 60, lead in formal, organization-based volunteering. 

Age doesn’t need to be a barrier, mentally or physically. Neuroscience research shows that when people take on new and challenging tasks at any age, their brains can form stronger neural connections, enhancing cognitive ability. A survey reported by the International Monetary Fund found that in 2022, a 70-year-old had the same cognitive function as the average 53-year-old in 2000. Physical health has also significantly improved: based on grip strength and lung functionality tests, 70-year-olds today have the same fitness levels as 56-year-olds did 25 years ago. 

Studies identify four key practices that foster generational collaboration and boost innovation: 

• Offering flexible scheduling and remote work options
• Implementing reverse mentoring programs, where knowledge is exchanged both ways between older employees and younger staff 
• Forming intergenerational teams to leverage the complementary strengths of different age groups on complex projects 
• Encouraging informal social activities that help build connections across generations.

In a world that is rapidly embracing A.I., the distinctly human skills of communication, empathy and wisdom are emerging as differentiators. As more employers identify upskilling as a top three priority in the next five years, it makes sense to include workers at every stage of life, especially those in the workforce who bring the experience to help others and the resilience to reinvent themselves. It’s time to change the narrative—the one we tell ourselves and the one we share with others—so that midlife is seen less as a costly “old guard,” and more as a wellspring of untapped potential and new horizons.

Nail Your Narrative: How to Use Storytelling to Reinvent Your Career in Midlife by Sarah Bird is out now.