I am over 60 in a youth-oriented culture which is reflected in the jobs market.
I have what is seen as a 'flawed' career track record, in that I have consistently through my career sought to work in areas of new challenge and learning, in order to deepen and broaden my skills base, knowledge and understanding; today's market opts for recent, shallow expertise in focussed areas.
The employment market is cornered by the professional salespeople of the recruitment industry, who seek the quickest sale without regard to the best interest of their client, or any sort of fair deal to the applicants disadvantaged by these practices; recruitment agencies are effectively exempt from EEO laws and regulations protecting jobseekers from unfair and inequitable practices; employers can and do brief recruiters 'on the sly' to not present certain types of applicants - by colour, age, nationality etc.
Most employers refuse any direct contact with applicants because of of the recruitment industry's effective monopoly of contact with them.
In an accelerating downward spiral, my recent periods of unemployment are used as reasons for downgrading my employment applications.
Having been jobseeking for so long, my name is known to all Sydney recruiters ("if he hasn't been employed by now, he must be unemployable ...") who now automatically discard my application with out reading.