Age Discrimination

Age discrimination in the United States is becoming a raising phenomenon. This is in part to the fact that Americans are living long, healthier lives and this allows them to remain in the work force. Another reason that Americans are working longer is because of the age of retirement to receive social security benefits have increased. Old Americans have to work longer in order to be able to receive their full social security benefits upon retiring. Another factor that has forced older Americans to stay in the workforce is the economy. The recession has affected the money that they had accumulated for retirement. According to Desert news, the stock market collapse effected Americans 401(k) and stock holding. This is money that older Americans planned on using toward their retirement. The increase prices of food, gas, housing, etc, have forced older Americans to go back into the workforce to be able to live a comfortable life. The nest egg that older Americans had saved up is now not sufficient for retirement.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor projects that in the amount of older American working in America between the age of 55-64 is project to rise 40 percent from 2006-2016. According to Forbes magazine, age discrimination charges that have been filed in the United States account for about a quarter of all the complaints. This information does not include the older Americans that chose not to pursue the fact the they have been discriminated against because of their age. Forbes magazine also states that American over the age of 55 takes them three months longer to find employment compared to Americans that are younger than 55 years of age. According to Desert News, in 2011 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received and increase of 35 percent more complaints for age discrimination since 2001.

What exactly is age discrimination? Age discrimination is the unfair practice of not hiring an employee because of their