- Almost two-thirds (63%) of 55-64 year olds have said they have felt discriminated against by a prospective employer because of their age
- Just 6% of same age group see their age as an advantage when applying for jobs; 82% see it as a disadvantage
- Despite struggles to find work, latest Totaljobs Employment Index data shows job vacancies up 7% YoY in September
Research released by totaljobs has revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of 55-64 year olds have said they have felt discriminated against by a prospective employer because of their age. Worryingly, only 6% of the same age group see their age as an advantage when applying for a job.
The research from totaljobs, to support its #MillionPoundJamie campaign to help candidates get noticed, also revealed that 72% of 55-64 year olds spend over an hour prepping for an interview compared with just 62% of 16-24 year olds.
It has also been revealed that young people are much less likely to feel discriminated against because of their age. Just 33% of 16-24 year had felt age discrimination, with this number falling to 21% for 25-34 year olds and 22% for 35-44 year olds - a stark contrast to the 63% of 55-64 year olds. Whereas 82% of 55-64 year olds and 62% of 45-54 year olds see their age as a disadvantage when applying for a job, only 31% of 16-24 year olds and 16% of 25-34 years olds feel the same.
Data also released today in the Totaljobs Employment Index (TEI) shows that there are plenty of jobs out there available to prospective jobseekers. Job postings on the totaljobs website were up 7% year-on-year (YoY) in September. Looking at Q3 2016 versus Q3 2015 the good news continues, with the number of available jobs up 8% and equally, applications per job were also up 3%.
Across the UK there was good news for jobseekers in the North West, where the number of jobs posted in Q3 2016 versus Q3 2015 rocketed 15% and Wales grew 13%. Across sectors, some of the strongest performing were transport & logistics (up 64% Q3 2016 versus Q3 2015), property (up 58%) and customer services (up 44%).
John Salt, Group Sales Director, totaljobs, said: “In a candidate-led market where businesses continue to create new jobs, there’s no reason for employers to miss out on talent. But our #MillionPoundJamie research shows that age discrimination, whether conscious or unconscious, still exists and is still an issue affecting many jobseekers.
“Older generations bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge. In many cases candidates with more experience tend to be more confident and able to creatively problem solve based on both the life and work experiences they have dealt with over the years.
“On the totaljobs website, we’ve got plenty of advice for making sure recruitment takes place without bias, just visit www.totaljobs.com.”
