Two-thirds of workers aged 65 or more years are extremely or very satisfied with their jobs overall, according to the results of a survey by the Pew Research Center.
By comparison, 55% of those aged 50 to 64 and 51% of those aged 30 to 49 are satisfied with their jobs, according to the survey of 5,188 workers.
“Older workers are the most likely to say they are extremely or very satisfied with their relationship with their manager or supervisor, their day-to-day tasks and their opportunities for promotion at work,” according to Pew. “They also are more likely to say they find their job to be enjoyable and fulfilling all or most of the time.”
That’s what older Americans who currently are employed had to say. The survey did not address those who are looking for work.
Meanwhile, the results of a separate survey by iHire, released Thursday, show that one-third (33.6%) of surveyed workers aged more than 50 years believe that they have experienced ageism in their job searches. The survey garnered responses from 1,495 older job-seekers from 57 industries nationwide.
“While the labor market is tight overall, older workers find it more difficult to gain traction,” said Lori Cole, iHire certified career coach and brand ambassador.
More than half (53.8%) of the respondents who said that they had encountered ageism said that a prospective employer chose a candidate younger than them for a job although they were equally or more qualified. Almost half (49.2%) of the older adults said they didn’t get a response to their application, and 47.7% said that an employer did not get back to them after an interview. Among the respondents who were hired, 22.1% said that they were offered a lower salary than what they are worth.
“To combat ageism and get more interviews, job-seekers can try tactics such as removing dates from their resumes and utilizing a hybrid format, highlighting their most recent and relevant experience,” Cole said. “However, employers must do some soul-searching to ensure each candidate is evaluated based on having the skills to do the job and that their work environment is inclusive across all generations.”
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