Downsizing, outsourcing, etc.
The truth is, most companies are rewarding those managers that can cut costs and employees. Why should they pay someone at age 55 who is a health risk and demands a good salary for all the years they've served with their expertise when they can hire some 20-something young upstart with great health at one third of your wages?
I'm not sure if we're the throw-away generation yet, but we're getting there. When we get to our age, we can't afford to change jobs and risk losing our health insurance or even take a cut in pay because then we can't afford the lifestyle we've built for ourselves and families.
We're stuck.
But I'm sure those of us fifty and over are encountering it as a reality.