March 14, 2024
More than two thirds of baby boomers, 68%, say their age puts them at a disadvantage when trying to find a new job, according to the Workforce Monitor report released today by the American Staffing Association.
In comparison, only 53% of Gen X said their age put them at a disadvantage, as did 29% of millennials and 48% of Gen Z.
The ASA’s survey also found that 53% of older workers say their age limits their career opportunities.
In addition, they are less likely to ask for a raise or search for a new job than their younger employed counterparts, according to the report.
“It’s time for a paradigm shift in how the US labor market views older workers,” Richard Wahlquist, CEO of the American Staffing Association, said in a press statement. “Discrimination based on age is illegal and cannot be tolerated. But routing out persistent and growing ageism requires much more than stepped-up legal enforcement.”
Wahlquist continued, “Policy makers and HR leaders need to work together to correct and overcome the misconceptions, stereotypes and biases — conscious and unconscious — of the past. Mature workers have the knowledge as well as the workplace skills accumulated over a lifetime that America needs today and will need even more in the future.”
The Harris Poll conducted the survey on behalf of ASA from Jan. 5 to 9 among 2,094 adults, of whom 1,294 were employed.
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