You barely have a high school education, your job consisted of being a press operator or spot-welder, or hi-lo driver or sanitation worker or etc........ your period of employment was 1984 - 2008 and you are only in your early 50's..........Thats what your resume is going to look like.
So tell me, what does this individual have over any local person looking for a job in say, Bum Funk Texas or Arkansas or Utah or Louisiana?
He'll work harder for less money!
Here in Southwest Arkansas, there is definitely work for welders and equipment maintenance workers. If a hi-lo driver is a forklift, then maybe. Press operator, don't know. Sanitation worker probably not.