Older workers often face unique challenges during layoffs, including skill gaps and potential age discrimination biases.

Major companies are swinging the layoff axe hard in 2025—employers have already announced almost 700,000 job cuts, an 80% increase from last year. But here’s the uncomfortable question nobody wants to ask: are older workers getting the boot first? Research from ProPublica found that 28% of stable, longtime employees sustain at least one damaging layoff between turning 50 and leaving work for retirement. With so many major companies making fresh cuts, it’s time to dig into whether experience is becoming a liability.












