KJZZ: Adults 55 and Older Face Higher Unemployment Rates Than Mid-Career Workers (October 30, 2020)

COVID-19 has exposed the role ageism plays in our society. And it’s not just the very old that it’s hurting. A study has found that people 55 and up now face higher unemployment rates than mid-career workers.

The study, which examined unemployment since the start of the pandemic, was conducted by the New York-based New School. It found that for the first time since the 1970s, older workers are facing higher unemployment rates than mid-career workers, people ages 34-to-54. One reason is a lack of seniority. “From 50 and beyond are moments when our current system assumes that people are going to be rising in their career, and are going to be having some of their best earning years,” explained Kevin Prindiville, Executive Director of Justice in Aging. “The reality for many Americans is that’s not the case. And our systems aren’t built to then help support them through a healthy and successful later life.”