Re-employment for Laid-Off Workers 55-64 Lags at 57.3% as Health Coverage Gaps Widen
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 20
Re-employment for Laid-Off Workers 55-64 Lags at 57.3% as Health Coverage Gaps Widen
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 20
Summary
57.3% of laid-off workers ages 55 to 64 found jobs by January 2026, versus 72.9% for workers under 55, leaving many older Americans without employer health insurance for longer.
60% of Americans under 65 get coverage through employers, and that insurance often vanishes with a layoff while affordable replacement options before Medicare at 65 remain limited.
21% of displaced workers 55 and older left the labor force entirely, compared with 9% of younger workers, deepening the risk that coverage losses become long-term.
Even when older workers return to full-time jobs, only about half of long-tenured displaced workers earn as much as or more than before, making insurance costs harder to absorb.
HR advisers say newly laid-off workers should immediately confirm when employer coverage actually ends, since benefits may stop on the last day rather than at month-end.