I teach several technical courses every year - usually to Fortune 50's but occasionally a public class too. And I routinely have people who have been laid-off - often people over 45. They may have skills (java/web/database), but they find that they can't get interviews or a job. At the same time, I talk to hiring managers who say that they can't find people with the skills they need.

My impression is that the expectations put on the hiring managers is to hire someone who already knows everything and is willing to work any number of hours. So people who would be great employees in a sane job market are seen as "too old" (or the usual euphemism of "not high energy".) I think we need to find some way to force companies to hire our citizens.