Older workers face greater difficulties returning to employment after unemployment, often because of age-related stereotypes in recruitment. Evidence from Austria shows that explicit age limits discourage older people from applying and reduce their hiring opportunities. When these limits are banned, older applicants apply more and are hired more often, without harming wages, job stability, sickness absence, or recruitment speed.
However, employers may replace explicit discrimination with indirect signals such as “dynamic” or “willing to learn.” Stronger enforcement and efforts to challenge stereotypes can therefore support fairer recruitment. Employers may benefit from assessing applicants’ skills and suitability rather than relying on age-related assumptions.
