Employees who can make valuable contributions to a workplace sometimes find that they lose out on promotions or even get fired simply because they are older than the desired age of the workplace. While age discrimination is illegal under federal law, some workers are still victims of this practice. However, ageism does not occur at the same rate across all industries.
According to AARP, different professions will have their own ideas about when workers hit an age when they are no longer desirable. While some industries are fine with hiring workers 40 and over, others are more resistant to hire older employees.
Manual labor jobs
Work that requires people to carry heavy objects or operate machinery on a constant basis may subject workers to the risk of injury. In fact, a worker might suffer multiple injuries over time. Manual laborers who reach 40 years old may start to show signs of their previous injuries, which may create a perception that they are getting too old for their jobs.
Banking and accounting jobs
There are industries where people even younger than 40 might become subject to ageism. Some examples include banking and accounting jobs. Employers in these fields may want younger workers due to the belief that only workers below a certain age can handle long hours or will have the skills required for accounting.
Early age discrimination may also happen in the advertising and local broadcast news sectors. This is because a youthful image and an understanding of the latest trends are qualities employers in these industries highly value, and they tend to feel that older employees are less likely to possess them.
Tech industry jobs
Ageism is also a problem in the tech industry. According to Business Insider, tech employers consider workers over 35 years old to have a greater interest in management than technology, and that they focus more strongly on their families than what they are doing at their jobs. This makes younger workers more valuable since they are less likely to have families and can be more available for work.
Age discrimination is wrong no matter the industry, but since it does crop up more in certain kinds of jobs, prospective workers may know what they are facing when they apply for them.
