Age Bias Is Costing Australia: Employers Still Sidelining Older and Younger Workers

New national research by the Australian HR Institute and the Australian Human Rights Commission has confirmed what many jobseekers already know — age discrimination is alive and well, and it’s hurting Australia’s workforce.

Nearly one in four HR professionals now label workers as “older” by age 51. That’s up from just 10 per cent two years ago. At the same time, openness to hiring workers aged 65 and over has dropped to 28 per cent — and 18 per cent admit they won’t hire them at all. Younger workers don’t fare much better, with just 41 per cent of employers willing to recruit people aged 15 to 24 “to a large extent.”

These figures are particularly troubling in an economy crying out for skills. Over half of surveyed organisations reported hard-to-fill roles, yet large segments of the working population — those under 25 and over 50 — are still being overlooked.

The data paints a clear picture of stereotyping at both ends. Older workers were rated higher for reliability, loyalty, and stress resilience. Yet only 1 per cent were seen as stronger in tech skills. Meanwhile, younger workers were perceived as more energetic and tech-savvy, but dismissed as less reliable or loyal.

Worse still, when older workers leave, 60 per cent of employers admit it leads to a loss of key skills — and most organisations aren’t doing enough to capture that knowledge.

So what’s the solution? Flexible work is helping. Nearly three-quarters of employers now offer flexibility to attract and retain older workers, up from just under half in 2021. Workers themselves say flexible hours and fair pay are crucial to staying longer in the workforce.

With an ageing population and rising youth unemployment, Australia simply can’t afford to waste talent based on outdated views of age.