10 Wild Takeaways From a New Survey Showing Employers Are Secretly Ghosting Older Workers
A long work history used to be a clear advantage on a résumé. Now it can sometimes work against people in unexpected ways. Some hiring managers still value experience and stability, but others quietly treat age as a negative signal, even when it should not be. A 2026 survey from the Transamerica Institute highlights this tension. It shows that many Americans expect to keep working later in life, while age bias still shapes how some employers evaluate candidates.
The Magic Number Is 65
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65 has long been treated as the traditional retirement age in the U.S., largely because it is when people become eligible for Medicare. But the Transamerica Institute survey points to a harsher reality in hiring. When employers were asked to name a cutoff, 65 was the median age at which some considered applicants “too old to hire.”
Bias Can Start Before Medicare
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A 58-year-old job hunter may have up-to-date skills, great references, and a basic employment need. Yet 8% of employers in the survey still named age 60 as the point at which a candidate becomes too old to hire. For most Americans, government health benefits like Medicare are still years away at that age.
Staffers Get A Longer Leash
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Current employees often have a big advantage over outside job applicants. Employers gave 68 as the median age at which a current worker becomes too old for the job. However, the hiring cutoff landed at 65. This three-year difference shows a common workplace trend. Companies judge familiar staff by their work output, but reject older job seekers before an interview even begins.
Workers Are Rewriting Retirement
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Employer-funded pensions have become less central to retirement planning. The survey shows that 38% of workers plan to retire after age 65, while another 6% believe they might never stop working. High daily expenses and the need for a steady income drive this change. People are not staying at their jobs just because they enjoy office life. Instead, their bills, low savings, and longer lifespans may mean they need to work longer.
Retirement May Still Include A Job
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Over half of surveyed workers say they plan to work either full-time or part-time during retirement. This work might include a new type of job, consulting, seasonal hours, or a lower-pressure role after finishing a primary career. The main takeaway is that retirement no longer guarantees a total exit from paid work. Companies that pass over older applicants risk missing out on reliable employees who seek steady positions without promotion.
The Law Already Covers This
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The Age Discrimination in Employment Act started in 1967. This law protects workers 40 and older and applies to companies with 20 or more employees. Under this law, employers cannot refuse to hire someone because of their age. Companies can still judge applicants on skills, schedules, qualifications, and job performance. They just cannot use age as a reason to turn an applicant down.
Complaints Have Deadlines
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Keeping a paper trail makes it much easier to prove age discrimination. Workers who suspect such bias should save job ads, emails, interview notes, dates, and the names of anyone they spoke with. You usually have 180 days to file an official complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), though state and local rules can affect deadlines. Waiting too long can weaken a real claim.
“Age Friendly” Needs Proof
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Companies often use friendly language. A business might claim it welcomes older workers, respects every generation, and values long careers. However, Catherine Collinson of the Transamerica Institute warned that the term “age-friendly” lacks an official definition. True fairness shows up in real hiring decisions, good benefits, flexible hours, and staff retention.
Older Workers See The Pattern
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An AARP study found that 22% of workers age 50 and older feel they are being pushed out of their current jobs. The same study showed that 64% of older employees have seen or experienced age discrimination at work. Older job seekers feel discouraged because they notice when employers stop calling them back. They also know that words like “energy” or “company fit” are often code words for wanting younger workers.
The Workforce Is Getting Older
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects older workers, especially those 75 and older, to be the fastest-growing group in the U.S. job market through 2034. Participation among people ages 65 to 74 is expected to reach 30%. Hiring systems designed around outdated retirement assumptions will soon face a simple numbers problem, as older employees take up a much larger share of the workforce.