Discrimination Against Older Workers in Industry

Abstract

The complaint about discrimination against older workers is more than a century old. It has culminated in the belief that modern industry scraps the workers at the age of forty. An analysis of census data suggests that the size of this problem has been greatly overstated. It seems also that some of the reasons advanced for differential treatment of older workers are valid. Discrimination, therefore, probably exists only to a much smaller extent than generally believed. The overstatement of the problem is to be explained by the zeal of reformers who painted the situation of older workers darker than reality justifies. The acceptance of these overstatements is due to our culturally based preference for youth and fear of old age.