There’s never a good excuse for ageism, but it is especially troubling at a time when more and more older adults are choosing to stay in the workforce longer out of necessity or because they just like working.
There were 11 million Americans aged 65 and older working last year. That’s nearly one in five people (19%) in the entire U.S. labor force. And that percentage is expected to grow to one in four (25%) over the next few years, according to projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Approximately one in four workers in the U.S. labor force is over the age of 55.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act goes even younger, protecting job seekers and employees who are 40 or older from workplace discrimination on the basis of age.
Despite that law, older adults say they still see ageism in the workplace.
One recent survey finds that 78% of Baby Boomers (people aged 60 to 78) believe their “age would be a contributing factor when being considered for a new position” and 65% believe their age puts them at a disadvantage.
The same survey finds that 53% of Baby Boomers say their age limits their career opportunities.
Older workers bring valuable skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, self-management, interpersonal skills, leadership, and mentorship to the workplace. These workers also tend to have lengthier job tenures, offering reliability, loyalty, and stability.
However, many employers fail to recognize these benefits, depriving these workers of hiring and promotion opportunities, and their companies of a workers ready, willing, and able to fill millions of unfilled jobs.
As part of our content partnership with Scripps News, our news teams got together in June to present Age in America, a week-long examination of the challenges today’s workers face in the labor market and potential solutions.
Our coverage culminated with Breaking Barriers: Embracing Age in the Workforce, a one-hour TV roundtable discussion around how ageism undermines the invaluable contributions of older workers and what is being done to combat it.
We convened a panel featuring representatives from business, nonprofits, and government. The conversation was moderated by Scripps News Morning Rush anchor Rob Nelson and featured:
Watch Breaking Barriers: Embracing Age in the Workforce here.
Get more of our WorkingNation Age in America articles, videos, and podcasts here.
Get more of Scripps News’ Age in America coverage here.
This special is part of our WorkingNation Breaking Barriers series, which is made possible through funding provided by the Ares Charitable Foundation. Our first special, Breaking Barriers: Embracing Disabilities in the Workforce, won an Emmy® award.
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