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Too old for the job? New rapid review brings together research on ageism
As people live longer, society increasingly depends on people being able and willing to work later in life. However, ageism and age discrimination can create barriers. Forte’s new rapid review summarises the research in this field.
Being out of work not only leads to a poorer financial situation and lower future pensions, but is also associated with poorer health, lower confidence in one’s own abilities, reduced motivation and a less active social life.
A new rapid review summarises Swedish and international research on ageism and age discrimination affecting people aged 55 and older. The review was commissioned by the Swedish government through Forte and was conducted by Andreas Motel-Klingebiel, professor of ageing and later life, and Charlotte Wåhlin, adjunct associate professor of occupational medicine. Both are affiliated with Linköping University.
– Like the EU, Sweden has raised the retirement age and tightened pathways to early exit from working life. These policies are based on the implicit assumption that the labour market is just as open to older workers as it is to younger ones. Research suggests that this assumption does not hold, says Andreas.
One of the conclusions of the rapid review is that there is limited Swedish research on the topic.
– We expect people to work longer, yet we know surprisingly little about the barriers they face. If longer working lives are to become more than a matter of public finances, employers, labour market parties and policymakers need to understand where disadvantages arise and what measures actually work – not least in Sweden, says Andreas.
Difficult to be recruited on equal terms after age 55
Despite the limited evidence base in Sweden, the international review shows strong evidence that age discrimination in recruitment is a major barrier. Older applicants with equivalent qualifications receive fewer responses than younger applicants, and discrimination increases with age. Those who are disadvantaged in recruitment are often people over the age of 55 seeking to return to work after sick leave, unemployment or career breaks for caregiving responsibilities. Older women, people with lower levels of education, migrants and those working in physically demanding occupations are particularly affected.
Gender also plays an important role. Women are more likely to work part-time, in sectors like in health and social care and tend to receive lower pensions than men.
Once people begin to experience disadvantages in working life, there is a significant risk that these disadvantages will persist and accumulate over time. Andreas argues that the effects of ageism and age discrimination build up across the life course.
– Age-neutral policies risk reproducing inequality rather than addressing it. Extending working lives is a reasonable response to an ageing society, but only if those longer working lives are equitable as well, he says.
Extending working lives is a reasonable response to an ageing society, but only if those longer working lives are equitable as well.
Andreas Motel-Klingebiel
Professor of ageing and later life, Linköping University
Attitudes alone do not change structures
The rapid review shows that structural barriers preventing older people from working because of their age do not disappear simply because attitudes change. Ageism is not only a matter of attitudes; it is also a structural barrier that affects different groups unevenly. Charlotte highlights the importance of changing systems and structures.
– The solution does not lie in positive attitudes alone, but in accountability, for example through the use of structured recruitment processes. That would not only benefit individuals but also help achieve an important societal goal, she says.
Complex solutions are needed
The researchers emphasise that the solutions are not individual measures. Rather, they are complex and need to take a life-course perspective into account. Relevant measures may include competence-based recruitment, age-inclusive human resource policies, needs-based access to lifelong learning, supportive work environments, clear accountability and gender-sensitive monitoring.
– And these measures need to be combined, as individual interventions are rarely sufficient, says Charlotte.
Older people’s opportunities to remain in work longer are shaped by multiple factors that interact across the life course.
Raili Uibo
Research secretary, Forte’s national programme for working life research
Forte’s evidence base for future research investments
Forte will use the rapid review as one of several sources of evidence when setting priorities and funding research on longer and more sustainable working lives, including to identify knowledge gaps and research questions that require further investigation.
– The review shows that ageism is an important part of the explanation, but not the whole explanation. Older people’s opportunities to remain in work longer are shaped by multiple factors that interact across the life course. Research therefore needs to develop a better understanding of the interplay between ageism, the work environment, health and other conditions in working life, says Raili Uibo, research secretary for Forte’s national programme on working life research.
In programme planning, ageism and age discrimination should be considered as part of the broader set of conditions that affect older people’s opportunities to work longer, and should be assessed alongside other evidence on the factors that influence older people’s ability to remain in the labour market.
Webinar on the review’s findings
On 22 October, from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m., researcher Andreas Motel-Klingebiel will present the findings of the rapid review.
Read more and register for the webinar: För gammal för jobbet? Ta del av samlad forskning om ålderism i arbetslivet External link..
About ageism and age discrimination
Ageism refers to prejudice or negative attitudes towards older people, which can lead to age discrimination in working life.
According to the Swedish Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen), older people may miss out on job opportunities, skills development and promotion because of age discrimination.
Government commission on ageing and working life
In 2026, the Swedish government commissioned Forte to analyse research needs related to ageing in working life. The assignment focuses, among other things, on ageism and the opportunities for older women and men to remain in the labour market.
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TEXT: Lena Lindkvist
