Older people compete with younger people for the same jobs
Nowadays more and more older people who are looking for work have to compete with younger people for the same jobs. What problems does this cause? What are some possible solutions?
Nowadays, more and more older workers are finding it increasingly difficult to find a job.
Older workers have the good qualification, experience, a history of good work ethics, loyalty to the companies they work for, commitment to work and discipline but it is disheartening that neither their experience nor qualifications are considered good enough to get them a job offer.
One of the reasons responsible for the increasing unemployment rate among older workers may be the fear that the young employers may not be able to control or discipline the older workers or that they may not readily fit into the team culture. Young people have this belief that older people are rigid or inflexible in their thinking and attitude, which is true, indeed, to a great extent. Young college graduates can be recruited at less starting salaries than to recruit older people who have to be paid more because of their experience.
The older workers do not show the same enthusiasm and energy during the interviews which is shown by the younger lot. Younger workers prepare seriously for job interviews, whereas older people do not prepare as thoroughly and seriously as young ones. Young people easily relocate to new places but older people find it really hard to relocate from the place at which they have stayed for so long. Older people haven’t kept pace with the technology and processes with which business is done today which can be a real problem for older workers.
Once fired from their old jobs, older people face long term unemployment and when re-employed they are more likely to experience a significant cut in pay. And even if older people are willing to work for less wages, employers fear that they may be less satisfied with their jobs and hence less productive. Older workers are more expensive to insure, in case the company provides health insurance.
So what can you do in such a case, when you have a few working years left? Firstly, stay up to date with your skills and your industry. Be persistent because of attitude matters. If you have good communication skills and experience, you are less likely to face age related discrimination at your work place.