Wow! Even MSNBC gets it now!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44730688/ns/business-careers/#.TonUtLLWS8A
The numbers in this article are far short of telling the whole story. Because we older Americans know that no one will take our concerns seriously, very few of us file actual complaints. It takes time and money we don't have for something we know is a complete waste of time.
I've experienced age discrimination in employment many times which I've described in past blogs. One prospective high tech hiring manager even told me, "I didn't think you were that old" and he immediately excused himself. An HR person then came in to tell me, "he was called away" and told me "we'll follow up with you to reschedule the interview". Of course I never heard from them again.
I also experienced discrimination in layoffs many times. The older I got, the more frequently I was RIF'd and the longer I stayed unemployed before finding work. This is not 'subtle' discrimination at all! I ended up retiring much earlier than I wanted mostly because I couldn't find work. It shouldn't be that way in America.
And don't tell me what I experienced is because of my skills or experience. I have an excellent resume which includes a master's degree in computer design from Stanford, an excellent employment record and military service (volunteer) during the Viet Nam years. There's no excuse for this travesty. It's a national disgrace of proportions no one wants to know or admit, much less do anything about!
The federal government is failing to protect this demographic. Incredibly, they're about to increase the qualification age for SS (again!) and Medicare thus telling us we must work longer even though no one will hire us. If that isn't sick, I don't know what is!
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