The Job Market Feels Brutal — But The Average Age Of New Hires Might Surprise You, Says Research
shurkin_son | Shutterstock This morning, I learned that the average new hire in 2025 is 42 years old. That’s up from 40 in 2016, according to workforce data company Revelio Labs. The workforce is getting older in ways that should make anyone over 40 feel a lot better about their prospects.
If you’ve been sitting around thinking you aged out of being hirable, or that starting over at this point is basically admitting defeat, you might want to reconsider. Companies are choosing workers 40 and over on purpose.
The average age of new hires might surprise you: Why companies are hiring workers over 40
Revelio’s analysis, reported by the Washington Post, breaks it down:
- Workers 25 and under dropped from 14.9% of the workforce in 2022 to 8.8% in 2025
- Hiring for that younger group is down more than 45% compared to 2019
- Hiring for workers 65 and over is up almost 80% in that same period
- Customer-facing roles — sales reps, real estate agents, office assistants — are now dominated by older workers, with the average age rising two and a half years since 2015
Revelio’s chief economist, Lisa Simon, told the Post that usually when labor markets tighten, companies hire younger workers to fill entry-level roles. But that’s not what’s happening. Companies are prioritizing experience over everything else right now, and they’re willing to pay for it.
Why this matters if you’re over 40 & starting over
Edmond Dantés / Pexels
I’ve been thinking about this all morning because it confirms something I’ve seen play out in my own career and in the people I talk to as I build FlexpertJobs.
Starting over after 40 has actually become an advantage in ways it wasn’t even five years ago. Starting over after 40 isn’t the liability we’ve been told it is. It’s actually become an advantage.
When I was trying to break into recruiting without a recruiting background, I was in my late 20s and already convinced I was too late. I didn’t have the right credentials or the right job history. But I had sales experience, operations know-how, and I could figure things out. That’s what got me opportunities and roles.
If you’re over 40 and looking for work, you’re right about one thing: Companies won’t hire you because you’re young and not easy to mold. They will hire you because you can walk in, size up what needs to happen, and get it done. That’s decades of work that gives you, and right now, that’s what companies actually want.
Contract work is how companies say yes to people over 40 who don’t fit the mold
This is also why contract and fractional work make so much sense when you’re pivoting or getting back into the workforce after a gap. A full-time role when you’re 42 and switching industries feels like a huge bet for everyone involved.
You’re wondering if they’ll even look at you. They’re wondering if you’re serious or just killing time until something better comes along. But a contract role? Different conversation:
- Three to six months with a defined scope
- You prove what you can do without anyone making a permanent commitment
- They get to see if you’re as capable as you say without adding headcount
- If it works, those contracts turn into extensions, referrals, or full-time offers if you want them
I’ve watched this play out more times than I can count.
Experience is the new entry point
The whole “start at the bottom and work your way up” thing doesn’t function the same way anymore. Companies don’t have the bandwidth to train someone from scratch when they can hire someone who already knows how to:
- Navigate ambiguity without melting down
- Manage stakeholders who don’t agree on anything
- Deliver results without needing constant direction
That’s not age, it’s experience. The two happen to overlap, and right now, that’s working in favor of people over age 40 looking for work opportunities or staring over.
What this means for you if you’re over 40 and looking for work
If you’ve lost hope because you assumed you aged out, this is your sign that the game changed while you weren’t looking. The odds are in your favor. The fastest way to prove it to a company that doesn’t know you yet? Take on contract work.
Show them what you can do in a contained project before anyone has to commit long-term. Let the work do the talking instead of trying to convince them why someone your age is actually an asset.
Nesha V. Frazier is a writer, U.S. Air Force veteran, and mother of four who covers work, money, and modern motherhood. She is the founder of FlexpertJobs.com, and her work has been featured in Thrive Global, Her Agenda, and Hey Jessica.
