The six-figure IT expert forced to become an Asda delivery driver – and the other 50-plus men who suddenly went from high-flyers to jobless despair

Men in their 40s and 50s are facing a difficult search for work after redundancy, with experienced candidates reporting repeated rejections and perceived age bias. The article describes the financial and emotional strain, particularly for men who have built their identity around a successful career and supported a family.

Simon Gibbs was made redundant shortly before turning 50, after a restructure at HSBC, where he had worked since age 18 and earned £125,000 as a director. He applied for about 50 jobs but struggled to get beyond the first stage; the article also cites vacancies at their lowest level since 2014, excluding the pandemic-affected year of 2021, and 2.5 unemployed people per vacancy. It introduces accounts from five men, including a former high-flyer who became an Asda delivery driver.