Nothing new to say about ageism
April 16, 2012 2 Comments
An article in yesterday’s Observer was entitled Ageism is back as unemployed over-50s struggle to get back into work. From this one might have hoped that it would have revealed some deep but profound secret that we weren’t aware of in that somewhere, for a period of time, ageism had gone away.
Well it didn’t and it hasn’t. There was no new news and certainly no good news in this piece.
The Work Foundation Director commenting that “The older worker had not fared too badly over recent years, and there were more over-50s in work now than before the recession” really missed the point.
The problem with ageism largely isn’t in the workplace itself it’s with older people trying to get back into the workplace – two entirely separate issues.
The reason there are more over-50s in work is probably twofold; there are more over-50s around, and those with jobs are staying on in work longer, for a variety of reasons.
The optimist in me says that, over time, if there are more older workers around, employers will appreciate more what they have to offer and this will eventually translate into actually recruiting new older workers. Is this just “pie in the sky” and, if not, how can we accelerate the process?
Read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/apr/15/unemployed-older-workers-struggle-to-find-work?INTCMP=SRCH
It’s ashame the over 50′s are struggling to get back into work. With so many people looking for jobs – they are competing with hungry and eager 20 year olds.
Hi,
Unfortunately, it seems that we here in Sweden are experiencing the same problem.
Here we have employers complaining that they can’t find qualified people to hire, that may be true, if the only place they are looking is in the age group 25 to 40. And that seems to be the case. Like you, we have an over abundance of highly educated, experienced and knowledgeable people who are considered dead and buried because they are over 50.
For two years I have been looking for a new job. I have a university education, and a long and successful career. I have applied for around 2000 jobs that I have been qualified for (and sometimes over qualified). But this has resulted in only 2 interviews and none that lead to a job.
Since the age discrimination law here in Sweden is so weak and full of exceptions, employers can age discriminated fully in the open without fear of interference from the government. Recruitment agencies still require you to give your age when applying for a position, although this is clearly against the law. So, all older applicants are weeded out directly at registration.
The politicians and media here, consider age discrimination as non-news worthy. So, it is not publicized. But the story would be very different if it was Gender discrimination. Then you would see and hear it everywhere.
I guess that Gender discrimination is “in” and age discrimination is “out”.
Keep up the fight, I know that I will.