According to this Washington Post article, since 2008 charges of age discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have shown a slight decline. 24,582 age discrimination suits were filed with the EEOC in 2008 compared to 21, 396 filings in 2013. In contrast to the decline in the number of age complaints filed, monetary awards for such cases has increased; 2013 showing the highest amount, roughly $97.9 million, since 1997.
As detailed in a 2012 AARP survey, 77 percent of respondents between the ages of 45 to 54 said employees do face age discrimination and of those working full-time, 58 percent agreed.
Although such entities as those in Silicon Valley have shown a blatant trend in recruiting young applicants by requesting “new grads” in job descriptions, the downward swing in such cases can be attributed to different factors. Such factors include a rising economy and the fact that older applicants are faced with age discrimination at the beginning stages of the hiring process.
Kris Stadelman, director of a San Francisco based work force development and training agency, believes that due to the trend of high-tier companies hiring young applicants at high salaries, mid-tier companies are hiring older workers at a lower price point.
If you or someone you know thinks they have experienced discrimination due to age, the team at Radford & Keebaugh can help. Contact us by phone at (678) 369-3609 or use our contact form.