Home > All articles Bright Employment Outlook for Age 50+ Workers RetirementJobs.com published a Research Paper entitled “Age Bias in the American Workplace: A “Fact of Life” Enters Its Own Phased Retirement.” The study, the first of its kind in five years, summarizes findings, and recommendations based on research results from the company’s ongoing online survey of mindsets and practices of employers and 50+workers related to real and perceived age-bias. In its Research Paper, RetirementJobs.com has established the first Age Bias Index©, to serve as a barometer by which developments in the status and perceptions of age bias among employers, employees, and the general population may be measured. Key Findings and Conclusions of the Age Bias Research Paper 1) Employers are three times more likely (36%) to report that “age bias is declining” compared to only 12% of workers 2) While 96% of workers believe age bias to be a problem, a smaller number, 77% of workers “actually have experienced or observed” workplace age bias 3) With only 17% of employers believed to be making “a conscious effort to attract workers 50 and over,” there is a significant opportunity for progressive employers to stand out in an increasingly tight labor market.” Significance of the report “For some time, age bias has been part of our culture,” says Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes, co-director of the Boston College Center on Aging & Work/Workplace Flexibility. “Therefore, it should come as no surprise that negative stereotypes about age can be present at the workplace. The RetirementJobs.com index contributes to our understanding of older workers’ experiences with age bias. The RetirementJobs.com survey indicates that the incidence of reported age discrimination is less than workers’ as well as employers’ perceptions of age bias at the workplace. Furthermore, we are especially encouraged by the study’s finding that a large proportion of employers believe that age bias is on the decline.” In the paper, Bob Skladany, Director of Research at RetirementJobs.com underscores why age bias may be on the wane, writing employers “know something employees may not know: that long-predicted worker shortages are upon us, and therefore employers must hire more workers age 50+.” Employees and Employers Need One Another “Workplace age bias is undergoing its own phased retirement,” says Tim Driver, CEO of RetirementJobs.com. “Older employees are electing to work longer than planned. Employers, meanwhile, increasingly understand the merits of retaining and hiring workers that connect with customers, are dedicated, turn over less often (than younger employees), and hold valuable lessons learned from their prior careers.” The report cautions that a symbiotic worker/employer relationship is “vital in healthcare, retail, customer services, sales, financial services, the crafts and trades, engineering, skilled manufacturing, the sciences, education and in government. These areas are already experiencing a shortage of workers while also facing large numbers of retirements in the next several years.” “Age-Friendly” Employers To further address the talent gap, RetirementJobs.com conducts an Age Friendly Employer Certification© process to identify employers that maintain policies, practices and programs consistent with employment of people age 50 and older are based solely on their proficiency and contribution, and on terms and conditions comparable to younger individuals. Some of the well-known employers that are currently listing jobs on RetirementJobs.com include retailers (e.g. Borders Group, Macy’s and Staples), Not-For-Profits (American Red Cross and Mass General Hospital ), and services (Deloitte & Touche, H&R Block, and Hyatt). Call to Action With the “Assault on Age Bias” initiative, and in the Paper’s Conclusion, RetirementJobs.com calls for “increased research, education, and leadership to enable age 50+ workers to continue to fully participate and contribute to the economic life of our society.” Calling on government, private employers, non-profits and citizens to collaborate, Skladany writes: “Labor market demand, global competitive realities, the aging of the U.S. workforce and the desire of older workers to remain gainfully employed, compel our society to remove the barriers, real and perceived, regarding age bias.” Introduced through this report, the RetirementJobs.com Age Bias Index has set a baseline by which to measure and report on the scope and nature of workplace age bias, a factor strongly indicative of our society’s tolerance and sensitivity toward our cultural view of growing older. RetirementJobs.com Workplace Age Bias Index The RetirementJobs.com Workplace Age Bias Index© has a single-minded purpose—to provide a useful yardstick to track the issue of age bias in the midst of demographic factors that will significantly impact the US economy in the next two decades: ? According to estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: By 2012, the number of workers over 50 will increase 34 percent, while the number of younger workers will increase by only 3 percent. ? “Throughout the Western world, the retirement of the Baby Boom generation will create vacancies across industries.” (Source: Deloitte “It’s 2008: Do you know where your talent is?” 2/06) The RetirementJobs.com Workplace Age Bias Index focuses on how perceptions of age bias may influence behavior of employers, workers, retirees, job seekers and enforcement organizations. About RetirementJobs.com As the #1 career website for job-seekers aged 50+, RetirementJobs.com provides opportunity, inspiration, community and counsel to people over 50 seeking work to match their lifestyle. Our powerful, easy-to use job board connects experienced workers with thousands of jobs from age-Friendly certified employers. RetirementJobs.com is a strong public advocate and a catalyst to help employers retain, hire, and benefit from an experienced workforce.       By K.S. Date 23-01-2007 Print this article | React to this article