The number of aging workers in today’s workforce is on the rise—AARP reports that employees aged 65 and older make up the fastest growing segment of America’s workforce. Yet today’s late-career professionals face a unique set of obstacles rooted in age discrimination, from biased assumptions around skill sets and relevancy to a looming sense of job insecurity. And, as new research shows, the onset of ageism may start sooner than you’d think.
In a survey of 1,000 people over the age of 40, Fairygodboss found that 37% who report experiencing workplace ageism say they were younger than 45 the first time it happened. Most of these respondents say this first brush occurred when they were at a mid-level position in their career.
Interestingly, women and men report experiencing ageism in near-equal measure, with 30% of male respondents and 27% of female respondents saying they’ve experienced it. The most common form of ageism reported was receiving a negative age-based remark from a coworker, closely followed by respondents’ belief that they were passed over for a job due to their age. Thirty-two percent of respondents also shared they’ve been told they may be “overqualified” for a job after applying, and 19% said an interviewer has asked about their age.
Respondents who’ve experienced workplace ageism are 3.6x more likely to fear being pushed out of work because of their age, as compared to those who haven’t experienced this form of discrimination. Meanwhile, over half of respondents said they believe it will be difficult to keep their job or find a new job between the ages of 50 and 64.
You can find the full article and report at Fairygodboss.