The Age Issue That No One is Talking About This Election Cycle

I know what you’re thinking.

Are you kidding me? 

We've been inundated by cries of "he's too old", leading to U.S. President Biden stepping down from his candidacy for a second term. And now that he has, the chorus of "Who's old now?" directed at the Republican candidate is getting louder.

Please note that, as an anti-ageism activist, I am opposed to the "too old" comments pointed in either direction. Policy and competency should be at play, not age.

But what I’m here to talk about now is the discussion about age that has been missing in action so far in local, state and national elections:

• The implications of an aging population for our workforces and the economy
• The very real threats to the economic security of all of us as we age

Here are a few facts that I talk about in all of my workshops and presentations, the combination of which I call the "puzzling paradox":

• The U.S. is getting older, as is the rest of the world, a result of advances in public health and medicine, as well as declining birth rates.
• The U.S. is facing talent pipeline shortages in almost every industry. Lack of talent with the skills needed to fill available jobs is stunting growth and forcing small businesses to limit shifts, or simply to close.
• Older adults want and need to work, yet age discrimination is rampant, in the workplace itself and in hiring. In addition to the research done by AARP Policy, Research, and Thought Leadership and Polco , I hear daily from experienced, qualified jobseekers on this platform and in my workshops of their struggles to find work, any work, once reaching a certain age.

Who is talking about this as part of their campaigning? ....I'm waiting. So I think it’s up to all of us to get these issues on the table.

Here are some of the things that I would love to see on campaign platforms:

1. Legislation that would strengthen laws against workplace discrimination. In Congress, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act continues to sit in committee, instead of being voted on and helping American jobseekers.
2. Laws like Colorado's Job Application Fairness Act, which prohibits employers from asking for age, graduation dates and other age identifiers
3. Plans with accompanying dollars to reskill and upskill older workers, not only on a federal level, but also on a state and local level as well.
4. Funding to ensure that our workforce development centers are fully prepared and capable of providing older jobseekers with up-to-date and valuable advice and able to position them to employers
5. Tax incentives for employers that retool their workplaces to better accommodate multigenerational workplaces.

These kinds of solutions would be win-win: for older adults, for workplaces, and the overall economy.

Call to action

Here are some things you can do.

• SHARE this article on your own social media platforms
• Share and customize the sample candidate questionnaire I've created with those running for office to represent you, and ask them to fill it out.
• If there are candidate forums in your community, ask questions like these. Call your local/state parties, and let them know these issues matter to you.

Together, we can create a stronger economy for ourselves and for the U.S. overall by focusing on the age issue that really matters.

UPDATE:

I always love learning from those who comment on my articles, and two commenters made these additional suggestions for policy solutions:

• Debbie Howard raised the need for "intelligent dialog related to the vast number of family caregivers in our country who work tirelessly (and without pay) to fill the growing gaps between reality and our overwhelmed healthcare and social safety nets."
• Pamela D. Sparacino asked: "How about tax credits or benefits for employers who hire people over 55 years old?"

What policy suggestions do YOU have? Let me know in the comments.

© Janine Vanderburg, 2024

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