Working Paper: NBER ID: w25850
Authors: Patrick Button
Abstract: This paper discusses population aging, increased participation of seniors in the labor force in the United States (and reasons for this), and how these trends are making the struggles of older workers in the labor market increasingly relevant. Evidence examining whether age discrimination is a barrier for seniors as they try to increase their work lives through the common practice of “bridge” jobs is also presented. After discussing the evidence that measures age discrimination, economics and legal research that seeks to determine to what extent the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act and state-level age discrimination laws prevent age discrimination is discussed. In summary, current evidence indicates that age discrimination exists, but more so for older women. While evidence suggests that age discrimination laws may help, they cannot resolve all the challenges imposed by population aging, especially for older women.
Keywords: age discrimination; labor force participation; bridge jobs
JEL Codes: J14; J16; J26; J71; J78; K31; K38
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Age discrimination (J71) | Longer unemployment durations (J64) |
| Age discrimination laws (J71) | Reduced hiring discrimination (J79) |
| Age discrimination laws (J71) | Improved outcomes for older workers (J26) |
| Age discrimination laws (J71) | Barriers faced by older women (J14) |
| Economic downturns (E32) | Negative effects on hiring rates (J79) |