“Looking for work as a 40-something is no picnic. I’m told I don’t look a day over 30, so what’s the problem? I’ve sent my CV all over, to no avail. I haven’t heard a word. Not even, ‘Sorry, old girl. You just don’t have what it takes. You’re too old, too fat, whatever…’ And everything is online, so I’ll continue to pound the pavements,” says an email from a reader, signed ‘Invisible’. And she’s far from alone in her frustration.
In the first three months of this year, the unemployment rate in SA rose to 26,7%. That’s 5,7 million people, and that’s only the people actively looking for a job. If you add those who’ve given up hope, it’s 36,3%. “I recently advertised for an admin assistant,” says Tanya…