Despite their experience, people over the age of 50 are often disadvantaged in getting a good job

compared with their younger competitors. To take senseful measures against the existing unequal
opportunities on the labor market, the causes of this problem need to be discussed.

People aged 50 or older are mostly less physical fit than younger people. They won’t be able to
perform on the same level in hard physical work. Even in clerical occupations older candidates are
disadvantaged, especially if their already gained job experiences does not really refer to the new
profession. In employment offices, the interests of the people, including their already made job
experiences, are rarely considered because the main aim is just offering any new job. If someone
worked for example as a craftsman and should then apply for a job as a clerk, his lived work
experience won’t give him an advantage in the job candidature.

A way to change this problem would be a better adaption of the assisted job research by the state
considering the individual strength as the job experiences in past. Due to that, older people could
obtain an advantage on the labor market. In addition, the government should invest in possibilities of
retraining for people in higher ages who aren´t able to continue their profession caused by physical
problems.

Overall, the current situation that people are disadvantaged in getting a job offer because they are
older is not acceptable. Reasons might be a worse fitness level or that the made job experience does
not help for the new work. For people with physical problems in their original work a readily
accessible retraining is important. In combination with a reformed job finding system oriented
towards the personal abilities, a fair job competition for people of different ages could be re-
established.