Matey a dozen things have to happen to you before you need to start considering the whys and wherefores of a SSTR , You are not even on number one yet .
There is a down turn in the industry that cannot be denied , but it wont last forever and plenty of people fly aeroplanes without buying TR's or time . As you say you will be 42-43 before you have an atpl and the situation will be vastly different maybe better , maybe be worse but different .
You have much more of a chance of getting a job with an atpl than without one .
Starting training now might just be a good thing , but who knows
Good Luck