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When 40-year-old Rory Thomas left his job in January, he thought finding new work would be simple. 

More than 11 months later, he’s living the harsh reality experienced by many older people in Northland. 

Thomas is on the Supported Living Payment but wants to find work. He’s not alone. 

In the Far North, people aged 40–54 make up the largest group receiving Jobseeker Support, according to Work and Income’s quarterly benefit data from September. 

In Whangārei, the 25-39 age group is the largest but is trailed by people aged 40-54. 

In Kaipara, people aged 55 and over are the majority. 

Thomas left his previous role as a plumber because it was too stressful, and he was searching for something in a different industry. He hasn’t found it. 

“I’m on two-minute noodles, basically,” Thomas said. 

Despite having professional CVs and cover letters, he has found it hard to nab even an entry-level position. 

Thomas was unable to move somewhere like Auckland or Australia for work because of financial commitments, and he wanted to stay close to family. 

He had already lived in Australia, where work had been easier to come by. 

“I sent my CV to 15 people and I had about two phone calls within 15 minutes.” 

Thomas found Whangārei tough by comparison. He recently applied for a role alongside about 88 others. 

Just four people, including himself, were interviewed. 

“It just sort of makes you feel a little bit insecure, and it’s quite depressing,” Thomas said. 

“You almost have to take a bit of a break between rejections to bring yourself back a bit.” 

New Focus NZ director Muriel Willem said more than 40% of the clients helped by the career guidance service in the past six months were aged 50 and over. 

They had experienced redundancy, industry decline or needed to transition to less physically demanding work. 

“Some clients have been out of work for months or even years. Despite strong work histories, the path back into the workforce is far from straightforward,” Willem said. 

She said finding work after job loss was “harder than ever” for mature workers. 

“The longer the job search drags on, the more daunting and isolating it feels.” 

New Focus NZ founder and director Muriel Willem says finding work after job loss is “harder than ever” for mature workers. 

Digital literacy gaps meant today’s recruitment processes could feel overwhelming, and a change of industry could mean learning new skills. 

Willem said unconscious age bias was also common. 

Employers might assume older workers expected higher wages, were less adaptable, didn’t stay long or would struggle with technology. 

On top of that was the mandatory disclosure of past injuries or health conditions. 

“This can lead to unfair assumptions about their ability or risk, disadvantaging them despite being fully capable and ready to work,” Willems said. 

Economic pressures could also push businesses to lower-cost, entry-level candidates, she said. 

The human toll was clear – financial strain. 

Willem said those in the 50-plus age group had mortgages, children entering tertiary study, whānau depending on them, and long-term commitments like home maintenance. 

“As candidates approach retirement age, the added pressure of uncertainty around building or maintaining a retirement fund creates extra financial and emotional stress.” 

Seniors at Work founder Ian Fraser said he had noticed an increase in people aged 50 and over across the country registering as job seekers in the past six months. 

The website was set up as a tool to help people of that age hunt for jobs. 

“We’ve noticed, for example, the number of people registering as job seekers on our site has gone from 30 to 50 a week to 50 to 100 a week.” 

Fraser said superannuation was often not enough for people to live comfortably. 

As people aged, the cost of healthcare went up, and that was on top of the cost of living. 

Fraser said some people had retired only to learn they did not have enough money to live comfortably. 

But those aged over 50 had experience and life skills that were second to none. 

“If you’ve got a valuable older person, they’re worth keeping hold of,” Fraser said. 

His message to job seekers was to be positive, resilient and patient. 

“But it’s not easy,” Fraser said. “Sadly, there’s no silver bullet.” 

Tips for job seekers over 50 

• Get support from a careers practitioner. The service is free, and a practitioner can help with support in identifying strengths, financial needs, CV support and interview prep. 
• Highlight transferable skills. Decades of experience, such as customer service, teamwork, communication and leadership, are valuable across a range of industries. 
• Build a modern CV. Tailor each application to the job description, showcase your achievements, keep design simple, focus on the past 10 years of experience and avoid images, icons or complex layouts. 
• Upskill in digital literacy, starting with the basics. Free courses are provided through the Ministry of Social Development. 
• Stay connected. Many jobs can be filled through word of mouth, so spread the word to colleagues, friends and family. 
• Be patient. A good job search is not a quick fix. The more prepared you are, the stronger your chances. 

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.