Not so happy about those birthdays

Not so happy about those birthdays

A look at the perception and the reality of ageism in today's economy

By Debbie Gardner
PRIME Editor

It was an innocent mistake on my part.
But one that opened my eyes to a growing problem.

I'd taken information over the telephone about one of the many upcoming class reunions we run in our papers, and used the contact person's name in a quote about the event.

After the notice ran, the person I quoted called me and requested that I paraphrase the quote and remove their name for any subsequent editions or web site postings.

Currently in the middle of a job search, my contact had a concern someone might connect their name and class year and figure out their age.
Bottom line this person was worried age discrimination might cost them that next job interview.

Now, as a boomer working in the print news industry, I'll admit I've occasionally had a sleepless night or two myself worrying about who would hire me if I lost my job.

My worries, however, centered mostly on the number of job openings in my field and my skill set, given the climate in the newspaper industry of late.

Yes, I did consider age and gender they're a double whammy for me in any job search.

But hey, I work in what I'm acutely aware is a shrinking industry.

I wasn't aware, however, that I was suddenly among the majority of nervous middle-aged jobholders and jobseekers who are beginning to see every fine wrinkle or grey hair as a potential stumbling block to staying employed.

It seems age discrimination real or perceived is the silent partner sitting in on every older worker's job review and interview in this new economy.

The numbers tell the story
According to statistics provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the largest annual increase in discrimination charges filed for fiscal year 2008 was in the area of age discrimination.

Those claims shot up a total of 29 percent, to 24,582 for FY08, which ended Sept. 30.

And those numbers only tell a portion of the story.

The rest come from some increasingly grim economic statistics.

Figures supplied by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the unemployment rate for persons 55 and older have nearly doubled, rising from 3 percent in Dec. 2007 to 7 percent in June of 2009.

That's equal to the change in the unemployment figures for the entire population, which rose from 4.7 to 9.4 percent during the same time period.

In addition, a Pew Research Center survey records that, during that same time span, 40 percent of workers over age 55 were either in a job or looking for one.

That's the highest recorded figure for that age group since 1961.

And, according to figures compiled by the AARP Knowledge Management and Public Policy Institute, this employment picture is directly affecting lifestyle. During the last six months of 2007, one in four people age 50 and older was a victim of home foreclosure or was delinquent on their mortgage.


Courtesy U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Yes, it is tough out there
To get a better picture of the employment landscape for workers 50 and older. PRIME contacted Bob Skladany, vice president of research for the Waltham, Mass.-based Web site, www.RetirementJobs.com.

He had some sobering words for middle aged and older workers.

First off he said, given the recent shift in the economy, boomers have to accept that they're going to need to stay in the workforce a lot longer than they thought.

"The idea of [early retirement] is only 35 to 40 years old .you work for 30 to 40 years, retire at 62 or 63 and stop working," Skladany told PRIME. "That's no longer a realistic model because retiree health programs which used to be widespread are gone; retiree pension plans are effectively gone; [and] we are living longer and outliving our savings.

"All the factors are pointing to the fact that, except for the very wealthy, people will have to work full or part time for five to 10 years longer than they did in the past."

And if you're among the seven percent of workers who've recently been downsized or laid off, the road to reemployment may be a bit rougher than it was just a few years ago.

"A lot of older jobseekers don't want to hear this," Skladany said. "But if you're over 55 and you become unemployed, your job search will take longer by about a month or two [than a younger person] and the pay will be 25 to 50 percent lower than before."

Right now, the average salary offered to jobseekers in this age category is about $25,000 a year, he said.

"It's going to take more time, you're going to make less money and it's going to be darn frustrating," he added.

Is it age discrimination?
According to the United States Department of Labor Web site, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 "protects certain applicants and employees 40 years of age and older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions or privileges of employment."

But that doesn't necessarily mean that older workers who've been downsized or laid off were victims of age discrimination under the law.
"Employers do tend to focus on the salaries [ of employees] when looking to lay off," Skladany said. "It's not illegal to lay off the older workers [in a company] if it is based on salary."

Skladany said that the former interpretation of this type of action laying off the higher salaried workers, who usually were also the older members of the company was seen as de facto age discrimination.
"But the Supreme Court [recently] said that it's OK, if the company is doing it for economic reasons," he said.

"At a time when the older workforce is growing as a proportion of the [general] workforce, the enforcement provisions available for age discrimination [are] being weakened," he added.

And he said, with so many older workers staying in or rejoining the workforce, the question of what is and isn't age discrimination is going to be a "hot potato issue."

And it isn't just economic realities that are contributing to the problem of age bias both real and perceived.

"Most people think that older workers are less innovative and less creative," he said.

Skladany said the notion of taking Social Security at 62 the so-called early retirement op-out has actually contributed to this cultural notion of older workers being less viable.

"If you can retire at 62, 62 must be old," he said.

And older workers themselves contribute sometimes unwittingly to this perception.

Skladany said many of the questions that come to him through the employment-related column he writes for AARP.org, hinge on the question of age discrimination in the workplace.

"Every week I get 30 to 50 questions .I'm [applying for a job, being passed over for promotion, laid off at the end of the month] and I know I'm being mistreated because of my age," he said.

And though in some instances age discrimination may be a factor, Skladany said it's often "older workers [who] have a lot of trouble moving past the preconceptions that they are going to be mistreated and give [a job or interview] their best shot."

So, how old are you?
Yes, Skladany said, a potential employer can ask an interviewee their age.

"It's legal to ask, it's illegal to use the information," he said.
In fact, according to Skladany, an interviewee should be comforted when someone asks the age question directly "because they have the information on record if you challenge their decisions on the basis of age discrimination."

That said, Skladany indicated that certain industries are going to skew their hiring toward younger workers, regardless of the credentials and experience an older applicant shows on their resume.

"Entertainment and advertising are two of the most visible," he said. "And higher technology, they thrive on the perception of 'fit' based on physical attributes and cultural attributes."

"Fit," Skladany said, is sometimes a subtle form of age discrimination.

"Fit is considered to be an accumulation of real and perceived attitudes, work history, style, how you dress, how you problem solve, how you work in a team," he said. "Very often, their perception of an older worker is incompatible with high tech [industries]."

So, what is an older jobseeker to do?

Look for work in the right places, Skladany said.

"Nursing and customer service are extremely receptive to older workers," he said. "So are insurance, higher education, health care, retail, and the federal government."

The other thing that an older job applicant can do is read up on and know your rights under the federal and state Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA)laws.

It's also important to know what types of skills you have and what kind of jobs you are looking for . and get that information concisely on your resume.

And of course, be at your best when you do land that interview. That may mean splurging on an new outfit or hitting the gym; it definitely means researching the company you're interviewing with and practicing your interview ahead of time with a trusted friend or mentor.

Most importantly, keep you skills fresh take a course on that new computer program , learn to use the Internet (many libraries offer introductory courses for free) and get a cell phone if you don't have one.

"And stop permitting your anxiety about age bias to influence your behavior!" Skladany said.