Nearly one in five employees aged under 20 say they have been made to feel self-conscious about their age. This ranks it much higher than discrimination based on gender, race or religion.
The Employers Forum on Age (EFA) survey also found that 20% of jobseekers in this age group have been put off applying for jobs because of their age – more than any other age group. (Just 7% of 40-year-olds experienced this feeling).
“It’s now young people who are self-conscious about their age, leaving some feeling very excluded from the job market,” says Rachel Krys, director of the EFA. “Employers must recruit and engage young people and our research shows that this group, more than any other, is feeling alienated from the workplace. The next generation of employees requires a new approach: employers have to evolve in order to understand, motivate and develop the skills of this group – they can’t afford to ignore any age group.”
