I'm unemployed in my 60s and I filed for bankruptcy to get by. I don't have family to turn to for help.

This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with Thomas Heep, a job seeker in his 60s who lives in Denver. He was laid off in April 2025 and is still looking for full-time work. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I was laid off from my job as an operations manager on April 4, 2025. I've been looking for full-time work since then.

I'm currently working part-time, delivering prescriptions to patients in the Denver area, and I started collecting Social Security in my 60s, before reaching my full retirement age of 67. Both combined aren't enough to pay all my bills. Earlier this year, I filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

I'm an only child and the last living member of my family. Not having a family to turn to definitely increases the pressure in a situation like mine.

I recently had an in-person interview for a job that paid $20 an hour. I felt like the interview went well, and I'd be grateful to get the job.

But there's always a part of you that thinks: I've worked all my life to maybe get to this. A $20-an-hour job.

My job search has been 99% online — LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and stuff like that. Looking for work primarily online wasn't new to me, as I'd landed my last job only about a year before I was laid off.

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First of all, so many of the companies I apply to don't respond at all. I started working during a time when you could just walk into a business, maybe they had a "We're hiring" sign, and you could talk to somebody right there. That doesn't happen anymore. You have to go online and fill everything out, with a very high chance you'll never hear back. It's such a process now, and I don't think it's as effective as people think.

Companies can also easily get buried by résumés when they post a job opening. A decent-paying job in a stable field will get hundreds of applications. "Work from home" roles are worse. I've seen application numbers in the 2,000s and higher. How is anybody going to get through that number of applicants?

I also think companies are looking for people who fully match every skill they list and don't need any training. That's just not going to happen.

Jacob Zinkula writes about how workers in tech and other industries are navigating their careers. Share your story with him by filling out this form, emailing him, or reaching out via Signal at jzinkula.29. Follow his work by clicking here.