I like the author's optimism. I applaud the research he quotes

BUT

None of this has been read or absorbed by the recruitment agencies and I doubt any has been accepted by many companies based on my experience as a 59 year old who has been applying for jobs for the last 2 years with basically no responses until I "re-worked" my CV to leave out the first decade or two of experience. Then , magically, requests for interview commenced. If a telephone interview, no followup. In face-to-face interviews, one could often see a marked change as one was met and introduced when the applicant's age was realised.

I have gathered in speaking with others of my age that these experiences are not unique to myself.

I haven't given up and gone quietly into retirement. Instead I have established my own business and am now working productively with several clients and looking to expand.

When I read articles like this I never know whether to scream, cry or laugh when I look around at the real world of jobs and work.

ps: don't get me started on recruitment companies and their general practices like NEVER returning a phone call etc etc...

DKit

The mature age worker reform is probably one of the few that has a chance of getting up. The demand for more productivity will come from the economy so the foot will be on the neck of every executive in Australia to retain older workers and take on mature aged staff.

I agree with DKit that HR recruitment companies are a major problem and many need to be investigated by Government. Many are plainly sexist and ageist in their selection protocols. They always say they are 'under orders from employers' not to hire 50+ workers. They should be playing a leading role in educating employers - not as toadies.

I don't define any productive difference between younger and older workers. I reckon over the next 20 years or so, as workforce entry demand drops off from younger workers, that they will be in the box seat re salaries. About time.

Well written article and 2 interesting comments so far. Firstly I agree and can vouch for the loyalty and retention factor of the more mature worker. Those who have mortgages and other commitments like family are not only less likely to change jobs on a whim but are also more inclined to work diligently to retain their job and hopefully gain promotion and salary rise.

As a self-employed person I can relate to dkit and wish him/her every future success. However I am feeling lately that it's coming to the time where I would like to abrogate the pressure and responsibility of being an employer. To revert to being on someone elses payroll, walking out the door after an honest 8 hrs and switching off in the knowledge that my work day is over, nothing further to concern me, is beginning to appeal. Along with the thought of 4 weeks annual leave and steady reliable income ...

My 'employ-abilty' however is a concern and I think I will be testing the waters before making any abrupt decisions. One advantage is knowing quite a lot of other employers who know me - which may well provide opportunities that many mature age job seekers lack.

It remains to be seen.

I'm amused by this phrase in the article - 'might have trouble with the IT'.

This is definitely something that comes up all the time. GenX seem to have some notion that IT is all about them. As I often point out to them when I hear such comments expressed - 'who do you suppose invented all this stuff?'

It's nice too, to see their jaws drop when I'm working in raw code in a text editor, writing programs and scripts, when the best they can come up with is a few novel hotkey combinations in Word or have an indepth group-talk about how to set a ringtone on an iPhone.

So who is it that has trouble with the IT?

My son, a very young looking GenY, got a lot of laughs one day when he passed the remark - 'What are the GenX-ers going to do when they wake up one day and discover they're old?'

Now that's a good question.

meanwhile we have a growing generational group who are not fit for employment due to welfare dependancy and all that goes with it. The Mining industry has so many workers that are drug addicted because they would have no hope of filling jobs with 'çlean' employees.

...I liken this article to something I may have read ten or fifteen years ago: Full of optimism and hope but relating a history of no hope for unemployed aged, simply because it shouldn't!(let me add my own IMO)

...Another amazing quote is the predicted need for income support for comfortable retirement viz $40k PA IF owner of a home, with $400k in the bank; shudder to think how the poor survive. These figures and the direction of the article "smack" of lack of personal confidence and an over-reliance on the comfort zone of good times.

...This nonsense is so far away from reality as to be laughable. Resilience is the essential ingredient of retirement. Its a whole NEW world totally unrelated to work, just get used to it!