Cynthia Hennessy and other Americans lost their jobs around age 60, finding themselves too old for employers to hire but too young to retire comfortably, as Social Security doesn't begin until 62 and Medicare at 65. A 2025 Transamerica Institute survey found employers consider 65 the age threshold for being too old to hire, up from 58 in 2023, leaving workers in a difficult gap between unemployment and retirement eligibility.