Charles Meoni knows he can still drive an eighteen-wheeler. At 82, he feels confident behind the wheel. Yet hiring managers do not share his faith.
For decades, Meoni made his living as a truck driver. He earned about $1,200 a week at his peak. Driving was steady work, and it helped him support his family.
Twenty years ago, his health began to falter. He suffered pain in his chest and neck. Doctors later discovered he had an aneurysm. Medication kept him stable for years.
Earlier this year, he needed major heart surgery. The operation sidelined him for months. When he finally recovered, his job was no longer waiting. He needed to search again.
Meoni applied to local transportation companies. He hoped for a chance to drive short routes. Each application was ignored or rejected. He suspects his age was the reason.
“Most places don’t want an 82-year-old driver,” Meoni said. “I’m not applying to cross the country, only shorter routes. But no company wants to give me a chance.”
A friend offered him work as a restaurant valet. He declined. Standing for long hours in the Florida heat was more than he could manage. He feared risking his health.
Meoni’s wife, age 85, is also seeking work. She once ran a bar and later held clerical positions. Now she worries about how they will afford daily bills.
Together, the couple has only about $20,000 left in savings. His Social Security check brings in around $2,000 a month. That barely covers food, utilities, and medical costs.
“Everything fell down, and I’m just trying to survive right now,” Meoni said. “Even $500 a week more would save me. It would mean paying for repairs and medicine.”
Meoni’s story is not unique. Across the United States, many seniors in their eighties are trying to work. They are physically able, but employers often dismiss them as too old.
Over the past year, many older Americans shared similar accounts. They said they cannot afford to retire. Hundreds of applications bring few replies. Rejections arrive without explanation.
Some manage to find jobs, but usually at steep pay cuts. Many end up working part-time retail or caregiving roles. Wages are often close to minimum, far from sustaining.
For this small population, job hunting past eighty is frustrating. Retirement savings are thin, costs are rising, and Social Security checks rarely cover basic needs. They are left scrambling.
AARP research from 2024 revealed the depth of the problem. Six in ten workers over 50 reported seeing or experiencing age discrimination. Yet proving it in hiring remains difficult.
Ashton Applewhite, an anti-ageism activist and author, said employers often doubt older workers’ technical skills. But she argued seniors are just as willing to learn and adapt as younger staff.
“Data shows that if you give someone who has been on the job new challenges, they adapt,” Applewhite said. “Older workers are not less capable, only unfairly judged.”
Experts warn that some roles do pose health risks. Long hours on construction sites, heavy lifting, or constant driving can be unsafe. Companies fear liability if something goes wrong.
Still, many older workers apply for such jobs anyway. They often bring decades of experience. They argue they know the work better than many younger candidates. Yet doors stay closed.
William Coburn, age 83, spent 25 years running an appliance maintenance business. Three years ago, he retired. Soon after, he realized his savings were running dry. He needed work again.
Coburn applied for maintenance and driving jobs. He even earned a commercial driver’s license this spring. Yet responses were rare. He believes employers see his age as the main issue.
“I’m 83 years old, but I feel like a 40-year-old man,” Coburn said. “I’m strong and have no health problems whatsoever. But they see me as a liability.”
Through a federal program, Coburn trained and worked part-time. He earned $15.49 an hour for 20 hours a week. It was not enough to cover rent, car payments, and food.
He has already spent through $150,000 in savings. His Social Security check brings in only $1,200 a month. Yet his motel costs around $1,400. By month’s end, he is broke.
“Social Security does not pay you enough money to even live on,” Coburn said. “I worked my whole life. Now I can’t afford housing.”
Programs that once helped older workers have faced cuts. Funding for the Senior Community Service Employment Program, which once gave Coburn support, was paused in recent years.
Gary Officer, who leads the nonprofit CWI Works, said employers must look at the advantages seniors bring. “Older workers often have deep experience in teamwork and communication. Those are traits that come with wisdom.”
Even with these qualities, hiring practices can push seniors aside. Ifeoma Ajunwa, a law professor at Emory University, studied how job postings sometimes use coded words.
Terms like “digital native” or “energetic” suggest only younger candidates are welcome. Some hiring platforms even use AI to estimate an applicant’s age based on school years or work history.
Ajunwa noted that AI can help some older workers, especially in remote work. But many fall behind if they cannot adapt to new systems. The digital divide makes job searching harder.
Pat Fagin Scott, age 85, has applied widely but remains without paid work. Photo by Alyssa Schukar for BI.
Pat Fagin Scott, age 85, has lived a life full of varied work. She taught school, guided tours at the United Nations, and spent 16 years at the DC Housing Authority.
She earned more than $150,000 annually before retiring in 2017. She thought finding new work afterward would be easy. Instead, years of job applications have brought little success.
Scott has applied through job sites like LinkedIn and Indeed. She networked, volunteered, and even removed her age from her résumé. Still, no offers have come her way.
“I’m an old girl, but I’m not a dead girl,” Scott said. “I applied to join the Army. That’s when I learned about the age ceiling.”
Scott receives more than $5,000 a month between Social Security and a pension. She also took a reverse mortgage on her home. Still, bills continue to outpace income.
“There are so many things going on in my life,” she said. “It’s like a boat filling with water. I patch one hole, another one opens.”
Pat Fagin Scott, 85, gives her time to volunteer work as she struggles to secure a paying job. Photo by Alyssa Schukar for BI.
Economist David Neumark studied how companies respond to older applicants. He found that when applications are anonymous, older workers are not rejected. But once interviews occur, hiring rates drop sharply.
Michael North, a professor at New York University, warned of generational tensions. “The older you are, the more people think you block opportunities that should go to younger workers,” he said.
Some experts suggest new approaches. Sharon Solomon Rose, a social gerontologist, said workplaces should mix age groups. Younger staff can mentor older staff in technology. Older staff can guide younger staff with wisdom.
“We need what’s called reverse mentoring,” she said. “That means blending generations, not separating them.”
Many seniors are also trying new paths. Some write books. Others open small businesses or sell crafts. A few launch startups or turn hobbies into sources of income.
Henry Montez, age 87, worked in film and television for decades. He once filmed an interview with President Gerald Ford in the Oval Office. He ran his own production company for years.
During the pandemic, his business shut down. Later, he found work with CASA, a nonprofit helping working-class families. He created bilingual computer training programs for older adults.
Then funding cuts closed the door again. Montez lost that job as well. At 87, he is not looking for a nine-to-five role anymore.
Henry Montez, 87, says he is pursuing side hustles instead of returning to a full-time role. Alyssa Schukar for BI.
Instead, Montez is planning tutoring and freelance projects. He hopes to earn enough to stay in his home. He lives with a partner in her seventies who teaches yoga and pilates.
“You have to roll with the punches and keep moving,” Montez said. “Too many people write off the old. It’s just a number. Dying is not on my bucket list.”
The United States has about half a million people working past age 80. Some do it by choice, enjoying purpose and connection. Many do it out of financial need.
With life expectancy rising, more people will reach their eighties healthy enough to work. But unless hiring attitudes shift, many will continue to face rejection despite ability and drive.
