Posted on 01/08/2020 9:27:32 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Tom Brady is a now free agent, but the NFL player doesn’t have the same worries as millions of Americans over 40.
Workers over 40 are only about half as likely, or less, to get a job offer than younger workers if employers know their age, according to research released this week that was conducted by economics professor David Neumark at the University of California, Irvine. The data was adjusted for differences in skills, fit and availability.
Key to the study was a major change that a company made to its hiring systems. Previously all applicants at a national restaurant chain (which wasn’t named in the study) had filled out an initial application form in a face-to-face meeting with a restaurant manager. So their age was apparent from the get-go.
Under the new system, applications began first with a standardized, online, electronic screen. This included over 100 questions designed to find out a candidate’s skills, experience, employability and other attributes related to the job. But it contained no age screen.
When managers could determine an applicant’s age group, those over 40 were between 46% and 65% less likely to get a job offer than those under 40.
Under the new system, older workers were actually more likely to pass the initial, age-blind application process than younger ones, typically because they had more experience.
UC’s Professor Neumark crunched the numbers from a proprietary hiring database maintained by the unnamed national restaurant chain. (The database of 1,600 job applications emerged from an age-discrimination lawsuit). The hiring decisions covered jobs from “front of house,” such as servers, to “back of house,” such as chefs.
“This set of results is strongly consistent with age discrimination,”
(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...
If only there was a law, oh wait.
As someone over 55 that went 9 months looking for a job I can say they do not have to “see” you to determine your age. When you have not jumped jobs during your career thus having only a few to list they can do the math from your resume.
People that do that are complete a-holes. My dad had to come out of retirement to get work recently. I’m glad his workplace actually values older people with decades of a real work ethic.
Apparently businesses would rather have low wage semi-competent employees with large turnover than stable competent ones that cost more.
Kinda depends on what job you are looking for. At my level in my career field, having 20+ years experience is a high dollar commodity.
Of course, if I switch careers... Walking as a 50+ year old White male would probably put me at a disadvantage in some professions.
I’ve worked only 3 places my entire life, due to staying put like they did in the old days.
Never would have dreamed that would be some sort of negative.
I’ve always heard there are two big reasons for age discrimination:
1. Older people will cost the company more in health insurance on the company health plan.
2. Older people expect to be paid more than younger workers, so employers tend to go for a younger hire.
Age and experience will be advantageous, if one is being recruited for an executive or management level job. But for the bulk of jobs out there , employers prefer to hire younger people.
I turn 66 in a few weeks. I’ve been in IT since 1983. I’m currently on contract and have been for the last 8 years. I look about 20 years younger than I am and usually have no problem getting a job or contract, but I discovered something interesting: Every time I tried to become an actual employee for the last decade, once I had to put my birth year on any document, the process ended. And a couple ended “at the last minute”.
Thing is, though, I believe it is their right to make that decision. I’m fine with contracting at this point. Truth be told, I get paid more than the employees anyway. And I trust in the Lord for my future and he has been more than faithful.
This age discrimination bs has been going on for decades and has gotten worse in during the Obama years.
Proving violation of that law is difficult. A good number of people in that age range would need to file suit against a company that has wronged them...and be able to prove it. Not getting a call back after a job interview isn't really actionable.
Plus, people of my age and others in the specified age range would be more inclined to keep on plugging away rather than whining about it and retaining an attorney.
Government mandates merely become crap-shoots of who can best play the system.
Well it was not when I finally found someone that like the fact that I am reliable and not a job jumper but he happens to be in my same age range.
if only there was a walmart in every town practically- oh wait-
.....or if it were only enforced!
The law does no good. They simply don’t hire you. No one says, “You are too old!” They sure won’t put it in writing! Just “Thank you for your interest but the job has gone to someone else.”
Or, “You are not a good match for our culture”.
I think that businesses that offer health care coverage as a benefit for their employees look at older candidates as a cost liability. Just a theory, as I am not a business owner, but even when in good health, insurance for older employees is higher than for young.
It’s probably a bad way to look at it, because qualitative concepts aside, I am sure you could probably quantify the productivity and efficiency benefits of hiring someone with more experience and better work ethics and they would offset possible benefit costs, but again, I am not personally familiar
My gut tells me this will become an enforcement priority in a Trump second term.
He will have nothing to lose and nothing to fear from Chamber of Commerce whining and gnashing of teeth.
A big factor in this:
Thirtysomething year-old managers are not confident in managing older and more experienced employees.
re number 1
Maybe just me and my experience but I am on work earlier, stay longer, and miss more days than everyone 20-40 years younger than I am. Basically I take a PTO day for my annual physical and that is the only health related time I am out each year (doesn’t mean I never get sick, just work through it). So 1 doctors visit per year and a recurring prescription I take that is cheaper to me if I don’t file it on insurance per year.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.