Ageism is Real

Ageism. 

Despite the fact that older employees are often the most knowledgeable and experienced members of the workforce, they’re all too often overlooked in favor of younger, less experienced workers.  

33% of US and UK employees believe their increasing age is putting their future employment at risk. 

Among full time employees age 45 or older who feel they could potentially lose their job within the next year, more than a third of them believe it will be due to their age.

Discrimination against older potential employees needs attention! We still haven't reckoned with how common and harmful age-related prejudice is in society.

"Ageism is now thought to be the most common form of prejudice, and the issue is, we don't even recognize how prevalent it is and how impactful it is," said Donna Wilson, an Aging Specialist and Nursing Professor who studies aging and the workplace. "A lot of societies are really youth-oriented now and don't really respect or care about older people. There's widespread fallout from systemic blatant and subtle ageism, Wilson said. 

It's a trend that needs to be better quantified. I see it every day and it’s not very subtle. I see candidates that are more experience getting passed over. The employer saying, we need someone with only a couple years’ experience ….that is CODE for “don’t send me a seasoned candidate or in more bold words “DON’T SEND ME AN OLDER PERSON.”

Age discrimination is real. Two out of three workers between ages 45 and 74 say they have seen or experienced age discrimination at work, and job seekers over age 35 cite it as a top obstacle to getting hired. And if you happen to work in the high-tech or entertainment industries, your chances of experiencing age discrimination are even higher.

• More than a 40 % of all employees (regardless of age) believe there is age discrimination in their workplace, while less than 19% of employers are concerned about it
• Well over Half (55%) of those aged 60+ are not ready to retire, increasing to 65 % for those aged 65+
• The majority (73%) of those in their 50s and 60s feel they share invaluable skills, experience and knowledge with colleagues – but more than 20% believe it is not valued by their employer and the employer does not value the knowledge these workers bring to the table but rather looks at them as old.
• The workforce is getting older: more than a third of employees will be aged 50+ in the next decade
• On average it takes a Baby Boomer ( 1946-1964) over one year to get a new job after losing a job. Dozens of schools and researchers in all niches have found the most engaged and the most experienced worker, mature worker is overlooked for opportunities due to age.  
• Source AARP, Dept of Labor, EEOC
• Patrick Flaherty, an economist at the Department of Labor, said “the numbers are not surprising because these workers are part of the massive Baby Boom generation of nearly 75 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964. Hiring managers sorting through piles of applications may not consciously discriminate, but instead assign characteristics according to age. For example, employers may see younger workers as tech-savvy and older workers as a cause of higher health care costs and more difficult to train.”

~Source for concept and article AARP, US Dept of Labor, Conn Dept of Labor, EEOC