So I am a member of the “#gigeconomy”, a sort of purgatory that has strange bedfellows such as the quite youthful (those just emerging from college and finding the job market is a bit of a nightmare) and the mature employee who has smacked into the wall of ageism.  Well, we don’t like to admit the wall is there, but it is.

Recently I came across a great article about the specific issue of women over 50 who are increasingly locked out of jobs that can mean the difference between Coach bags or Bag Ladydom.  PBS Newshour did this spotlight report that showed how easily one can draw a series of inferences to what would seem a logical conclusion, although, unlike Sherlock Holmes, in this case all the building blocks and the final product really have no grounding in any reality of today’s society.

I just went through three interviews for part-time jobs in a condensed time frame, partly emboldened by my seasonal stint at a major retailer who managed to look past the silver threads among the gold and hired me at Christmas time.  Somehow, I get pipped at the post and while I am not certain that I was passed over for someone much younger, I really think that my age and skill set (typically far richer than the job requires) has a wet blanket effect.

So I move on, consigned to find any gig work I can as a virtual assistant cum technology whizz–I even have taken to referring to myself as an administrative or office support ninja, can you believe?  The gaps between money in my pocket are very large, and unfortunately the gathering of various opportunities rely on being able to spend some cash.

Welcome to ageism, gig economics, and the marginalization of whole groups.  Eventually it logically should bring down the whole works.