In an industry that favours youth over experience, the best defence against age discrimination may be avoiding becoming a victim in the first place How old is too old to work in IT? That depends on who is doing the hiring and paying the salaries of IT pros. But one thing is for certain: Widespread age discrimination has become a central issue, affecting many people working or seeking work in today’s IT industry, according to legal and career experts. “Large percentages of IT professionals see age discrimination as a serious problem, and leaders in the tech industry boast of their preference for young workers,” says Cathy Ventrell-Monsees, senior attorney adviser at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or employee because of a person's race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, or age. Although laws again...

If you lose your job past the age of 50, you are in the hardest age bracket to find work again thanks to age discrimination. A recent study by the University of South Australia's Centre for Workplace Excellence confirmed there was a strong perception that older workers were not suitable for employment. "Older job seekers that we spoke to felt they were rejected based on their age alone," the centre's Justine Irving told  ABC Radio Adelaide 's Drive program. One-third of people surveyed aged over 50 revealed they had experienced age discrimination when applying for work. "Some adults described a subtle pressure from their colleagues and management to stop working in order to make room for a younger generation." Age-related discrimination was causing many to withhold their age on résumé, Dr Irving said. The centre's study follows the  Willing To Work Inquiry  by the Human Rights Commission released in May 2016. It revealed a rise in long...