The Gen X Hiring Bias
The job market is looking better than ever, with over 9.2 million job openings and over 5 million job placements in the past month. It is amazing to see the job force getting back on track since the pandemic, but there is a group of people struggling to find a job. Generation X, between the ages 45-60 s, is struggling to find jobs as they face a possible unemployment crisis. Although the job market is booming, this doesn’t make much sense, but we will break it down for you.
Why is Gen X at risk?
As one of the oldest generations in the workforce, Gen X is at risk of high unemployment rates because of their ability to find and seek out jobs. As you work up the hiring ladder, the number of available jobs decreases. Instead of many entry-level candidates, they will only qualify for a handful of positions. These positions will require a greater range of skills and more experience. Hiring for senior positions means higher-paying candidates. Companies either do not have the budget/availability for these senior positions, or these jobs are sparse.
A small pool of candidates and even a smaller pool of jobs put this generation at risk for finding jobs. A small candidate pool is not the only problem that Generation X faces in the job force, but they face discrimination against them for their age.
The bias of ageism
Ageism is a real and current phenomenon that is happening in the workforce. Companies are refraining from hiring Gen X because of their salary and their inability to perform based on their age. From March to May of this year, a study conducted found 45 to-60-year-olds to be the most overlooked in the workforce.
In this study, there was a concern about Generation X being: reluctant to try new technologies, their inability to learn new skills, and a larger difficulty in working with other generations. Companies want to stay modern and contemporary to attract younger target audiences of Millennials and Generation Z, and Gen X does not have the skillset to be up-to-date.
Contrary to age bias, 87% of hiring managers said those 45 and above are as good as or even better than younger candidates. To combat this misconception of ageism, companies should implement training at all levels. Training allows every candidate and employee to stay relevant and engaged with current technology and day-to-day tasks.
Overall, Generation X is facing biases about their age and is struggling to find senior-level roles. Here at Clutch, we do not discriminate any candidate, regardless of gender, race, or age. Contact us today to get in touch about our senior-level positions.