Old workers ‘suffer from age discrimination’

Old workers feel they are being discriminated against because of their age, with many hiding how old they are when applying for a job, according to a study.

A survey of more than 1,100 employees over 50 showed one in seven believed they had been turned down for a job because of their age. One in three polled by the Centre for Ageing Better said they had been offered fewer opportunities for training and career progression than younger employees.

The charity urged firms to be more “age-friendly” and to tackle discrimination. Spokesman Patrick Thomson said: “The number of older workers continues to rise, with over ten million over-50s in work last year. With job vacancies and numbers in work at record levels, employers must act now to attract and retain skilled older workers or they will fall behind their competitors.

“Employers risk losing their most experienced people and face labour and skills shortages. Every employer needs to become more age-friendly and take steps today to ensure they have a workforce for the future.”

Employers were urged to target candidates of all ages and to support interaction among staff of all ages.

A government spokesman said: “The untapped potential of people working for longer is recognised across this government, and more employers are recognising the benefits of hiring older applicants for the wealth of experience and knowledge they have to offer.”