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8 Reasons No One Wants To Hire Gen Xers Anymore

It's a mistake to overlook the "forgotten generation."

By Cassandra Yorgey

Edited by Jessica Gibson

Updated Nov. 25, 2025

Sometimes called the "forgotten generation," Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980) is struggling to secure employment while also being unable to afford to leave the workplace.

About 44% of Gen Xers believe it would take a miracle for them to be able to retire, so why are employers shunning this experienced and vetted group of workers? Despite the following assumptions, employers will want to scoop up these experienced employees before they find different ways to tap into new sources of income.

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Employers fear their retirement

Gen Xers are terrified they will never be able to retire. Still, employers fear the exact opposite: that a middle-aged employee might somehow scrape together enough savings to retire within a decade, and they'd have to hire again.

While employers fear the time and money spent hiring won't produce a worker who stays long-term, Gen X often values stability over job-hopping for raises. This is the last generation to witness their parents working for the same company their whole lives and then retiring on a pension, and now discover that opportunity has been denied to everybody else.

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They're overqualified

Generation X now has decades of occupational experience under their belt, which employers should view as a good thing. Instead, businesses are unwilling to pay for experience in a suitably qualified role, while simultaneously aware that underemployment leads to employees leaving for a better offer.

They're stereotyped as tech-resistant

Gen X is often deemed bad with technology because they didn't grow up with the same technology as today. But Gen X was there when the "old magics" were created. They learned on DOS, watched the rise of Microsoft Windows, and pioneered the social internet as we know it.

Unfortunately, employers worry that Gen X workers may be harder to train or will struggle to adapt to the digital landscape we live in.

Gen X has obligations outside of work

Companies that refuse to provide a work-life balance are often resistant to hiring Gen X, knowing they will push back harder against additional hours or working over weekends.

With factors like childcare and family life to consider, they may be unwilling to put in unpaid effort for career advancement that has failed to materialize after decades of going the extra mile. In reality, every generation has obligations beyond their careers.

Their experience outweighs their education

Common sense would indicate that actually doing the job for many years would provide better qualifications than a freshly printed degree. Some hiring managers, though, have different perceptions of what a degree actually brings to the table.

Workers who couldn't afford to complete higher education but have the skills and experience are often overlooked in favor of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed college graduates. But Gen X has already mastered the skills they'll need to train younger candidates.

They're perceived as uninterested in professional development

Gen X is often considered uninterested in furthering their professional education, but are simultaneously not offered opportunities for upping their skills due to their age. But they aren't the unenthusiastic workers some paint them out to be. In fact, they're often known for doing whatever it takes to get the job done.

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Salary requirements

Gen X can't afford to work for less than what it takes to pay their bills. They don't have the option of "moving back home" and often have the added pressure of needing to care for aging parents in addition to their own children. They simply can't afford to take a job that pays only the bare minimum.

Unfortunately, many employers may opt to hire someone cheaper, and younger applicants are less likely to demand a higher salary.

Ageism exists in the workplace

While technically illegal, ageism still permeates workplaces, even if implicitly. Older employees can often be viewed as out of touch, unenthusiastic, or as having familial obligations that prevent them from engaging in unrealistic business practices, such as unpaid overtime. These hiring biases can harm Gen X applicants from serious consideration, despite being proven and reliable members of the workforce.

Bottom line

Employers say they want qualified, loyal applicants for job openings, but their actions can suggest otherwise. Hiring managers have an untapped gold mine of potential in Generation X that is being overlooked.

According to a recent study, Gen Xers make up 31% of the workforce. And from the skills and experience to do their jobs well to the ability to mesh with older and younger generations, they bring valuable assets to companies. In exchange, all they want is the opportunity to move beyond living paycheck to paycheck.

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