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Brad Jenkins was fired from his tech job at Intel last year.
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Jenkins, who is in his 60s, said the layoffs have disrupted his retirement plans.
This essay is based on a conversation with Brad Jenkins, a job seeker in his 60s living in Oregon. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I knew there was a chance I could be fired, but I was shocked when the news came.
In 2021, I started working as a technician for Intel in Hillsboro, Oregon. I was 59 at the time, and I remember thinking: “Why are you hiring some old fart like me?” Over the next few years, I survived several rounds of layoffs.
Then, in March 2025, Intel brought in a new CEO, and it seems that there was more emphasis on reducing management levels. I thought, “Well, I’m not a manager, so I should be safe.” I thought I would retire there, but I was wrong.
On July 7th, I found out that I was fired — and that my last day on the job was July 31st. Since then, I have been struggling to find work, and now retirement is not possible for me.
I took some time off before looking for a job
Quitting hurt because I worked really hard for the company and really loved the job. I didn’t start looking for work right away. I had some savings, several weeks of severance pay, and I knew I could collect unemployment benefits. It bought me some time.
One of the first things I did was take a month-long road trip to Colorado, but I wasn’t just there for vacation. I took a multi-week class on electric vehicle charger maintenance through a free program hosted by Goodwill.
My thought process was: the class is free, I’ve never been to Colorado, I’m interested in electric vehicles, and it might help me find a new job. I knew the Oregon state government had plans to add more EV chargers across the state, so I thought this might be an attractive area.
After class, I decided to extend my break from the working world, spending about a month in California on what I thought would be a post-layoff trip. I still had some savings and hadn’t started collecting unemployment benefits yet. From what I understand, I was not eligible for unemployment if I was out of state.
Around last November, I started collecting unemployment and was actively looking for work, including LinkedIn and actually semiconductor specialist roles. I tried tapping my intel network for opportunities, but nothing came of it. When I’ve had a few interviews, I’ve struggled to land an offer.
As my search dragged on, I also began exploring entrepreneurial opportunities in electric vehicles.
Business Insider is talking to workers who have found themselves at a corporate crossroads — whether due to quitting, resigning, looking for a job, or changing workplace expectations.
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I’m not sure if my age has worked against me in my job search
When Intel hired me at age 59, they were hiring, and if you’re capable, they’ll consider hiring you.
Once I got to Intel, there were people in their 70s still working there. So maybe age is less of a problem in the semiconductor industry.
I think the bigger issue is that there is less demand for the type of work I do at Intel. There are many technicians who are currently looking for work, whether due to cost cutting or other factors.
Retirement doesn’t make sense to me yet
I have thought about retirement, but the biggest hurdle for me is healthcare. I can’t apply for Medicare until I’m 65, which is a few years away, and not that helpful since the Affordable Care Act subsidies are expiring. Having a job provides health care benefits, so it is very important that I return to work.
I could also use a little more savings in my retirement account, and my plan is to collect full Social Security benefits, which means working until age 67.
In recent months, I’ve tried to cut back on my spending — especially on fancy vacations. Even before I was laid off, I started cutting back on non-essential spending because I realized that it could take the economy in a bad direction. My unemployment benefits have helped me get by, but they don’t last forever.
Unemployment sucks, but don’t give up
I have been through many economic ups and downs in my nearly 40-year career, including multiple layoffs. During the Great Recession, there was a long unemployment period until contract work helped me get back on my feet. It is useless to leave it forever.
My top advice for other job seekers is don’t give up. Tap into your resources, tap into your network, don’t burn bridges with your past employer, and accept that you may not be getting paid the same way you were before. Yes, it sucks. But there is still work to be done.
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