Have you noticed it’s getting tough to find a job? And yes, it’s the job market – but it’s also you. If you are a qualified, educated, ambitious woman over 45 – it will be getting harder and harder for you to land another corporate job, should you lose the one you have. And losing the one you have should not come as a surprise either.
What’s Going On
This is sad, but there’s solid evidence that age discrimination starts earlier than many think. In a meta-analysis of hiring studies, applicants aged 40-49 already had 11 % to 50 % lower odds of being considered than younger controls (29-35 years old). (University of California Press Online) Women over 50 report significant discrimination: in one survey, about 30 % of women 50+ said they’re discriminated against because of age. (AARP)
Globally and in multi-country surveys, ~78 % of women say they have experienced ageism at some point in their careers. (HCAMag) These issues compound when race is involved – women of color tend to be disproportionately impacted by layoffs and by bias in hiring.
And the economy is not kind to high-cost labour. Companies under pressure are cutting costs, flattening management layers, consolidating support functions. Many administrative, HR, back-office, compliance, and mid-management roles are vulnerable. Automation and AI are accelerating these dynamics.
Recent reports show that corporate affairs, routine managerial tasks, and many back-office functions can be handled, or at least largely supported, by AI tools. (Axios+1) Middle management is already fading: fewer layers, smaller teams, flatter structures. (Axios+1)
Job ads with ageist language discourage older applicants. For example, ads with stereotyped language see fewer applicants over 40, both because people self-screen and because hiring managers may bias the process.
What’s Next?
Some researchers predict that by 2026, some companies will have eliminated over half of their middle management roles through AI / process automation. Companies like Amazon explicitly expect AI to shrink their “corporate workforce” in coming years as they lean into automation and efficiency. So the trends are already underway, not in the hypothetical.
By mid-2026, it’s realistic to expect that:
- Perhaps 20-35 % of women over 45 in certain mid-management or support roles may lose their jobs or be moved out via attrition (layoffs, non-renewals, demotions), especially in sectors like finance, marketing, HR, public sector support, etc.
- Many won’t find a comparable role (in terms of seniority, pay, benefits) for perhaps years – corporate hiring will prefer younger, cheaper, more tech-adapted employees.
- Specifically women of color within that group may see worse outcomes: higher layoff rates; slower rehiring; roles that are more vulnerable to cuts.
Who Will Go First?
Here are roles likely to be lost or heavily squeezed:
- Middle management (department/project/operations managers) with many “middle layers” under them, or roles where oversight is routine rather than strategic.
- Human Resources, Administrative & Support Functions – recruiters, office management, executive assistants. AI + process automation + remote work culture reduce the necessity of some roles.
- Back-office Finance, Compliance, Procurement – standardization, automation, software tools reducing headcount.
- Corporate Marketing & Communications (non-revenue side) – event planning, brand management, internal comms. These are often among the first discretionary budgets cut.
- Legacy tech / system admin roles for outdated systems; roles rigidly tied to older frameworks without updating skills.
So, Sister, What Do We Do Now?
Even if you have some savings, even if you’ve been in corporate awhile: you may not have enough. The months ahead may be long. You may need to do things you feel you’re too good for – temp work, consulting gigs, parallel income streams – while you build something more sustainable.
But what I want you to ask yourself: WHY DO YOU NEED PERMISSION from the corporate world – from people who may not see you, understand you, value you – to live, to contribute, to lead? You’ve built skills, experience, wisdom. These are not liabilities. They’re your capital.
I speak from experience: I started my business after being dismissed from a large corporation. I applied for another role internally, and was interviewed by people with far less experience. I didn’t say the “expected” line. Although I could demonstrate in documentation that I knew what I was doing, I was passed over. That anger pushed me to fly solo.
Regardless of how terrifying it sounds – consider this: You may NEVER land another corporate job without stepping down. You may find a corporate job on your level but you will most likely LOSE IT AGAIN to a younger, probably male.
IS IT WORTH IT?
Don’t you want to feel that your value and experience are appreciated? Don’t you want to have more predictability and rely on yourself only to ensure you have income? Don’t you want to be your own boss? These are the questions to consider for your New Year Resolutions!
Yes, working for yourself or starting a business bring a certain level of instability. But the truth is – even a good well paid corporate job with benefits will never give you more security. NEVER. In the unstable American reality, you come and go. Everything comes and goes.
And you know, if you go solo, you don’t have to build a big business. Start lean. Start consulting. Offer what you already know. Build credibility, referrals. Use your savings as cushion rather than anchor. If needed, take a temporary job to stay afloat. But don’t let it distract you from building something aligned to your value. Use your money cushion wisely and build your authority and ambition cushion – so you could use them when it’s time to launch.
Don’t Wait!
By mid-2026, we’re heading toward a labor market where corporate jobs for women over 45 will be significantly harder to preserve or replace. Discrimination, technology, and cost pressures will collide.
But this is also a turning point: it forces the question – are you going to ride out a shrinking system, or build something that reflects your worth, on your terms?
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