There's no question that older workers have been helped by the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. It has declined every year since, to 2.6 percent last year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. But now that the economy has cooled off, some advocates for the elderly worry that older workers may soon encounter difficulty finding or keeping jobs. And they question whether stereotypes about older workers have really melted away, or whether tight labor markets are the primary reason why workers over 55 have had an easier time the last few years. The group maintains age discrimination is alive and well, despite the gains of the last several years.
Some employers still view older workers as frail, unmotivated and set in their ways, advocates say.
It's a false assumption. It's probably ultimately more expensive to train somebody to a level of competence than to take someone with experience,'' said Shuster, a board member of Forty Plus of Philadelphia Inc., a non-profit career counseling organization for professionals over 40. But other labor experts said that employers have become much more receptive to the strengths of mature workers. It was the idea of going to a new job and not knowing how things were done, or the background of the company,'' she said. She also worried that potential employers might not be able to see past her age.