Though he did later manage to find a job, the experience so unnerved him that he vowed to steer his three children away from high-tech careers. Age discrimination is rampant in the industry. But any competent programmer could become productive in Java in a couple of weeks by simply learning on the job. Furthermore, even if the programmer took it upon himself to take a formal course in Java, that wouldn't be enough-employers insist on actual work experience in the language. That Catch-22 forces many programmers to leave the field.
Industry lobbyists claim unemployment is low, but they miss the point.
As employers shift their focus away from the older programmers, many new college graduates benefit, and some have gotten exceptionally good offers. Others aren't as lucky. If employers were desperate, they simply could not be so picky. Average wages for programmers rose only 7 percent last year, according to Urban Institute economist Robert Lerman, who found no evidence of a labor shortage. The attraction is often cheap, compliant labor.