Ageism in job search: A panel study

This study uses a very rich panel of job seekers in Australia to investigate the scale of ageism in hiring decisions. Direct survey questions do make a case for ageism, though, there seems to be much subjectivity in what is viewed as age discrimination. Instead, I utilize unemployment spell and estimate non-parametric hazard models of finding a job for a more complete picture of job finding experience. In doing so, I account for quitting labor as a competing event. The estimates show that job markets are far from age-neutral, and more educated job seekers could be facing ageism earlier and on a much larger scale. Occupations undertaken by the latter job seekers mainly rely on constant learning and an active, analytical mind. As such, a chief driver of ageism is the perception, contrary to evidence, that older people lack the cognitive and learning abilities to keep up with progress and function properly in an analytical and advanced technology environment.