Employers can't risk a lawsuit by denying a job to an older worker.
The laws against age discrimination are a good thing for folks who are healthy, engaged, able to work, but still over 50. Also, Many employers find they do better with older, stable mature workers as opposed to dealing with snot nosed 20 to 30 somethings with utopian notions as to how employment should work!
Older workers are denied jobs every day...they never get called back for a second interview after the HR person sees how “mature” they are.
Some few fortunate ones can get hired after 50, but you would be shocked at the number of both skilled and low-skilled people over 50 who cannot get hired.
Just google something like “over fifty can’t get job” and read the comments and forums, the real stories of those frustrated seekers. Some very talented people have been unemployed for several years now. Those forums tell the true story of the job situation in this country, and it looks pretty bad.