Seventy-eight percent of Baby Boomers ages 60 to 78 believe their age would be a contributing factor when being considered for a new position and a similar percentage think age counts against them in job-hunting, according to a study commissioned by the American Staffing Association and conducted online by The Harris Poll.

By comparison, 55 percent of Gen Z (ages 18 to 27) feel this way, along with 51 percent of Gen X (44 to 59), and 39 percent of Millennials (28 to 43).

The news comes as on the heels of reports that 19 percent of U.S. adults 65 and older were employed last year—close to double the number from 35 years ago.

The survey also found that 68 of Boomers believe their age puts them at a disadvantage when finding a new job, compared with 53 percent of Gen X, 29 percent of Millennials, and 48 percent of Gen Z.

Overall, 53 percent of Boomers say their age limits their career opportunities. The Boomer generation is also far less likely to search for a new job in 2024 compared with their younger counterparts.

“It’s time for a paradigm shift in how the U.S. labor market views older workers,” said Richard Wahlquist, chief executive officer o American Staffing Association (ASA). “Discrimination based on age is illegal and can’t be tolerated. But routing out persistent and growing ageism requires much more than stepped-up legal enforcement. Policymakers and human resources leaders need to work together to correct and overcome the misconceptions, stereotypes, and biases—conscious and unconscious—of the past. Mature workers have the knowledge as well as workplace skills accumulated over a lifetime that America needs today and will need even more in the future.”
ASA’s survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll from Jan. 5–9 among 2,094 adults 18 and older, of whom 1, 294 were employed.

Source: American Staffing Association is a national organization with state affiliates that provide advocacy, research, and education involving personnel staffing in the workplace. More information is at americanstaffing.net.