The main problem, as perceived by two fifths of people aged 18 to 24, is that there are not enough jobs to go round and that therefore older workers who decide not to retire are taking jobs which young people would otherwise have had.
Additionally, one in five believed that colleagues aged over 60 were slower and not as productive and that accordingly they should receive lower pay.
This seems a little surprising to me. After all, the ban on age discrimination was introduced as long ago as 2006; probably before most 18-24 year olds even entered the job market. Is the law failing to protect older workers? Is it simply being ignored? Or are these findings perhaps linked more to the question of retirement rather than age itself? I wonder if the research had been undertaken before the abolition of the default retirement age was announced whether the results would have been vastly different?
Any thoughts? Contact
Stephen Elliott of Langleys Employment Unit.