We don’t think much about ageism - until it happens to us.
For many, age discrimination feels like a distant issue. But if you’re job hunting in your 40s or 50s, chances are you’ve felt it: vague rejections, “overqualified” comments, or the sense that experience is suddenly seen as a drawback.
A BBC article, 'Gen X has had to learn or die', highlights how workers aged 44–59 are facing growing challenges. Ageism isn’t new, but for Gen X, it’s getting worse - driven by mass layoffs, economic uncertainty, and rapid technological change like AI. A 2022 AARP survey found that nearly 80% of workers aged 40–65 have seen or experienced age discrimination.
Rejection phrases like “not the right cultural fit” often hide age-related bias.
Yes! Ageism in hiring is real - and the data proves it
Researchers sent out over 6,000 job applications to real employers. The only variable was the age of the fictitious applicant, ranging from 35 to 70.
What they found:
- Callback rates dropped significantly starting in the early 40s.
- The older the applicant, the fewer responses they received.
- Women experienced even steeper declines than men.
Global Meta-Analysis: Ageism in Hiring: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Age Discrimination, 2023
A systematic review of 43 hiring discrimination studies across multiple countries found clear, consistent bias against older job seekers.
Key findings:
- Older applicants consistently received fewer interview offers, even when qualifications were the same.
- The bias was noticeable even in people’s 40s and 50s.
- Assumptions - not evidence - drove decisions. Employers believed older candidates were less adaptable, less tech-savvy, or more expensive.
- Women were the most affected.
The name experiment: Is It Harder for Older Workers to Find Jobs? New and Improved Evidence from a Field Experiment, 2020
A study in the U.S. showed that resumes with older-sounding names (like Barbara or Walter) got 36% fewer callbacks than those with younger-sounding names (like Brittany or Tyler), despite being otherwise identical.
This also suggests that age bias may operate unconsciously, even in the earliest stages of hiring.
Ageism isn’t just unfair - it’s economically self-defeating
A recent AARP study estimates that illegal age discrimination in U.S. workplaces costs the economy a staggering $850 billion a year. As Debra Whitman, AARP’s chief public policy officer, put it: “The economy in 2018 could have been 4% larger if workers didn’t face barriers to working longer.”
Part of the problem is widespread but outdated assumptions - like the belief that innovation belongs to the young. But research tells a different story. According to Harvard Business Review, the average age of successful startup founders is 45. Experience isn’t a barrier to innovation - it’s often the source of it.
With aging populations and shrinking birth rates, the workforce actually needs these employees more than ever. When companies sideline them, they lose deep institutional knowledge and risk widening skill gaps.
Yet most corporate diversity programs still overlook age. A 2023 PwC report found that just 8% of DEI strategies in major European firms even mention it.
Challenge age bias - starting with your own
There’s no quick fix for the fact that experienced, capable workers are being quietly pushed aside in the hiring process. But one thing is clear: the first step toward change is awareness.
Ageism isn’t just a problem for “other people.” Eventually, we all end up in the category that’s being overlooked.
Take a moment to reflect: Do you really think everyone over 50 is slower, less curious, or running on low energy?
The truth is, age is just a number. It doesn’t determine drive, adaptability, or value. But stereotypes still creep in - quietly, unconsciously - unless we actively work to unlearn them.
So let’s start there. Question your bias. Speak up when you see ageist language.
