Discouraged job seekers often older
Older people are far more likely to be among those no longer actively seeking work, new Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show. The data shows 32% of those aged 65 years and older have the largest number of “discouraged” job seekers, while those aged 55 to 64 years follow with 24%.
Older people are far more likely to be among those no longer actively seeking work, new Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures show.
The data shows 32% of those aged 65 years and older have the largest number of “discouraged” job seekers, while those aged 55 to 64 years follow with 24%.
According to the findings, the most common reasons older people lack motivation while job seeking is because they believe employers consider them to be “too old” for work.
Despite the number of people aged 55 years and older believing employers look at them as being “too old” increased in 2007, the number has since declined since its peak in 2009.
The data also shows job seekers aged 45 to 54 years are most commonly reported as those who give up looking for work due to “difficulties in language or ethnic background”.
Of the 900,000 people not in the labour force in 2011 who wanted work and were available to start within four weeks, there were 90,700 discouraged job seekers.
This was down from 102,000 in 2010 after a peak of 111,800 in 2009.
Are you an older worker, or know an older worker, who feels “discouraged” as a result of employers who look at age as a barrier? Share your thoughts on this topic by commenting in the box below.
