Age Discrimination Rises as U.S. Workforce Grows Older

Though nearly all states in the U.S. have laws protecting older workers from being fired because of their age, about two-thirds of AARP survey respondents said they had experienced ageism in the hiring process. The average age of the domestic workforce is increasing: in 2010, men and women over 65 made up 22.1 percent and 13.8 percent of employees, respectively. That compares to 17.7 percent and 9.4 percent respectively, in 2000. Charges of age discrimination have risen steadily since the turn of the century, from about 16,000 in 2000 to 21,000 in 2014, according to Pew Charitable Trusts. The Supreme Court has made it more difficult for workers to win age discrimination cases, finding that older employees may not sue state agencies for monetary damages in such cases, and that workers bear the full burden of proving age was the deciding factor in their dismissal or demotion.