>> The majority of hopeless people are a long way from retirement

>Source?

assuming "long way from retirement" is 10+ years.

Discouraged over job prospects

age 24-55: 311k

age 55+: 170k

Discouraged workers are persons marginally attached to the labor force who did not actively look for work in the prior 4 weeks for reasons such as thinks no work available, could not find work, lacks schooling or training, employer thinks too young or old, and other types of discrimination.

https://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cpseea38.htm

Thanks!

Is there a reason you didn't ask for a source on the numbers in the initial claim they responded to? The claim about seniors representing the majority contradicts my own understanding, so I would have started there.