'Widespread ageism' | Job applicants 55 & over are less desirable hires for employers, study suggests

Job applicants cease to be seen as a desirable hire by employers when they reach their mid-50s, according to new research.

Anti-ageism campaign Age Without Limits found that around two thirds of the 4,000 people polled think that the average age someone stops being seen as a desirable candidate for employers to hire is 55 – a full 11 years before state pension age. 

More than one in three people (36%) think that job applicants stop being seen as a desirable candidate for employers at 50 or younger – including one in 12 (8%) who think that 40 is the cut-off point.  

The age group most likely to think that someone stops being seen as a desirable candidate for employers to hire at the age of 50 or younger was the 45 to 54 age group (41%) – a possible reflection of the ageism this group experiences in the workplace.