Is it harder to find work after 50 in Australia?

Age discrimination exists, but it is illegal under Australian law. Many industries value experience, reliability, and communication skills that come with a longer career. The key is to position your experience as an asset in your resume and interviews.

Can I access my super early after redundancy?

If you are over 60 and have left your employer, you can access your superannuation. If you are between 55 and 60, you may be able to access a transition-to-retirement pension. Before 55, early access is only available in cases of severe financial hardship.

What government support is available for older workers?

Workforce Australia provides job search support for all ages. The Skills and Training Incentive targets workers aged 45 to 70. Free TAFE covers retraining courses in most states. Your local Workforce Australia provider can help you navigate the options.

Should I retrain or look for a similar role?

It depends on how exposed your current role is to AI automation. Each occupation group has an automation exposure score out of 100, according to Jobs and Skills Australia, Our Gen AI Transition (2025). Where that score is high, retraining into an adjacent role may be worth considering. The free Career Change Check on this site names three roles you are already close to.

How do I explain redundancy in an interview?

Be direct: the role was made redundant, not you. Focus on what you achieved in the role and what you bring to the next one. Employers understand that redundancy happens, especially in call centre and admin restructures.

Redundancy guideAU data

After redundancy at 50: what actually works in Australia.

Practical advice for Australian workers over 50 facing redundancy. Job search, retraining, and where mature-age workers are in demand.

Why this matters.

If you are over 50 and have just been made redundant, you are not starting from zero. You have 25 to 30 years of work experience, industry knowledge, and professional relationships. The challenge is not that you have nothing to offer. It is that the job market has changed since you last looked, and the search takes longer on average for mature-age workers.

ABS data shows that workers over 55 spend 30 to 50 per cent longer looking for work after job loss compared to workers under 40. That is a median figure, not a rule. Plenty of workers over 50 land roles in 8 to 12 weeks when they target the right sectors.

How it works in Australia.

The sectors hiring mature-age workers from customer service, admin, and call centre backgrounds are: NDIS coordination (strong growth, values empathy and life experience), health administration (steady demand, values process reliability), claims and insurance (values attention to detail and calm under pressure), operations coordination (values organisational skills), and customer success (values relationship management).

Training is shorter than you think. A Certificate IV in Disability (CHC43121) or Community Services (CHC42015) is available through Free TAFE in most states. Check eligibility at dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe. Many employers hire mature-age candidates with no formal qualification if they can demonstrate relevant skills.

Workforce Australia offers additional support for job seekers over 55, including access to mature-age specific programs and wage subsidies for employers who hire you. Check servicesaustralia.gov.au for current eligibility.

Age discrimination is illegal under the Age Discrimination Act 2004 and the Fair Work Act. If you believe you have been passed over because of your age, the Australian Human Rights Commission can help (humanrights.gov.au).

What to do next.

Do not wait until your payout runs out to start looking. The earlier you begin, the shorter the search. Update your resume to focus on the last 10 to 15 years and the skills that transfer to the role you want. Drop the objective statement. Lead with a summary that names the role you are applying for.

Take the free three-minute Career Change Check to see which roles match your background. If you want help with the move, the Sprint includes a check of your resume and a resume written for each kind of job, reviewed by a coach, a LinkedIn update, and as many Application Packs as you need against real AU job ads. Browse the pathway families at /pathways to see where workers like you are landing.

Not sure where to start? Take the free three-minute Career Change Check to see which roles match your background.

Common questions about career change after redundancy at 50 in Australia

Important information

Losing or fearing the loss of a job can be distressing. If the search runs long, talk to someone. The services below are free, available 24/7, and answer calls from people in your situation.

Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636
Fair Work Ombudsman 13 13 94

References: Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth).

Verify at humanrights.gov.au.

Changing Careers

Built from Australian government occupation data.

Last updated: 1 June 2026

Ready when you are

Take the free Career Change Check. Three minutes.

The Career Change Check is free and takes three minutes. It shows Australian roles people from your kind of work have moved into, and the skills you already have for each. You put in your email at the end, and we email you the link when your result is ready.

Start the free check

Managing a redundancy at your workplace? Read our guides for HR.