AARP Research: Age Discrimination Still Rampant in U.S. Workplaces

Six in 10 workers 50-plus have seen or experienced subtle forms of age discrimination at work, according to new research by AARP. While some workplaces are making strides toward equality, age discrimination is still pervasive in many organizations. 

This needs to change, particularly as older workers become a larger cohort of the U.S. workforce. Workers 65-plus represent the fastest-growing segment of the labor force, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They account for more than 60 percent of the projected labor force growth over the 2020–30 decade. 

The AARP research released Wednesday on Ageism Awareness Day underscores the importance of valuing older workers. They stay in jobs longer for economic reasons and because they want to continue contributing to society, says Carly Roszkowski, vice president of financial resilience programming at AARP. 

“Given employers’ need for talent, it makes great business sense to hire experienced workers,” Roszkowski says. “High-performing organizations know that building age-inclusive workplaces is not only the right thing to do, it’s a strategic necessity.”

AARP enlisted NORC at the University of Chicago to survey 2,002 adults 50-plus over the summer. Participants say the most common forms of subtle age discrimination they observe or experience are assumptions that older employees are less tech savvy (33 percent) and that they’re resistant to change (25 percent). Other common forms of age discrimination include ignoring older employees’ accomplishments or expertise (22 percent), jokes about generational differences (22 percent), and giving preference to younger employees for training (20 percent).    

Some workplaces acknowledge and combat the widespread inequality. Since 2012, more than 3,000 companies have signed on to the AARP Employer Pledge Program, a nationwide group that stands with us in affirming the value of experienced workers and is committed to developing diverse organizations. From 2021 to 2023, the number of organizations that signed on increased by 77 percent. 

Still, more work needs to be done. More than a fifth of survey participants (22 percent) say they feel like they are being pushed out of their jobs because of their age. A quarter (25 percent) say their work leadership does nothing to address discrimination.   

AARP has long fought to ensure all workers are treated fairly based on their qualifications, not their age, and we have urged Congress to pass legislation to better protect older workers against age discrimination and pervasive ageism.

“Older workers deserve to have the same rights and protections as their peers,” says Holly Biglow, an AARP director of government affairs focused on age discrimination. “Leaders in Congress on both sides of the aisle have proposed common-sense solutions, and we encourage the full Congress to pass these bills into law to ensure every American has the chance to get and keep their job.” ​

Read more on AARP’s research and learn ways to combat age discrimination in the workplace.