NY Times Asks Experts Why Why Older Workers Are Struggling
The New York Times blog, Room for Debate, has a great round-up of experts' thoughts on why and how older workers are struggling to get jobs during the recession. It's no big news that older adults have had difficulties (and have even been discriminated against) in the workforce way before the economy began to falter, but things are particularly hard now.
Between the idea that bosses don't want employees older and more experienced than them, to the fact that older workers cost more to a company salary-wise, to the theory that your productivity decreases as you age, these folks have a range of different reasons why older workers are having such a hard time. (Not to mention the comments section has blown up there as well.) Make sure to check it out.
On the upside, check out AARP's Best Employers for Workers Over 50 - because some folks know how valuable you are!
Tags: age discrimination, job, job hunting, job loss, work
Comments
Inger Kuhl says:
Aging has become big business. People are afraid of aging. Everything -- cosmetics, finances, health care -- is geared toward forestalling the aging process, and the belief that it can be done. Profiteers have always used fear to drive up an interest in their products and services.
The actual solution is to become "age blind" just as we have agreed as a culture to become color blind. Although this is a way to stop age bias in the work force it will not be accomplished because just as the downturn in the economy is making money for some businesses, so too, catering to the aging population is making some people very very rich. So, the people with the most wisdom, not the brashness of a newly acquired degree and the people with a developed sense of discipline are ignored in a workplace as "old school" as though today is not an outcome of the lessons of yesterday.
04/30/09 7:29 AM