Out-of-Work Skilled, Educated, Older Americans...AGEISM

RAMPANT AGEISM across the USA has plunged eager-to-work-and-earn-and-pay-taxes Older Americans into POVERTY! This is shameful in our country which, daily, concerns itself about poverty in foreign lands. And while this situation (of university-educated, Masters- and PhD-level older adults with
extensive knowledge and working experience in their fields) goes on, unprosecuted by weak or ignored "equal opportunity" laws, the hypocrit-rich politicians heavily complain that these are self-identified "victims" who are
seeking handouts. Even though these "victims" had a good share of their lifelong weekly paychecks sent to the Social Security RETIREMENT FUND; even though another portion of their weekly paychecks has been lopped off for MEDICARE HEALTH INSURANCE; even though, at age 65, MONTHLY PREMIUMS ARE DEDUCTED FROM ALL SOCIAL SECURITY PAYMENTS TO FURTHER PAY FOR MEDICARE HEALTH INSURANCE.
And these are the same WEALTHY BUSINESSMEN instructing their "INHUMAN RESOURCES" personnel to refuse to hire talented, proven older employees - even when these prospective employees ask for salaries much lower than they are worth, salaries equal to what these hypocrits are willing to pay younger adults with zero expertise, short experience and less education!!!
...Rent Subsidies...Food Stamps...other assistance. Our Elders deserve these
tiny helps for their lifetime contributions to an American society short on
gratitude and long on complaints. Given their brainpower, Give them jobs in their fields, or other work they can do and want to do. Or stop complaining about the meager programs that fall far short of what most people's pets eat each month.
Shame on this nation for sidelining so many with so many valuable skills! And, beyond the earnings needed to live a decent existence, ALL HUMANS NEED TO BE OCCUPIED WITH WORK THEY LOVE AND PARTICIPATION WITH OTHERS IN SIMILAR WORK IN ORDER TO REMAIN MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY HEALTHY. So...ultimately, unhired older Americans who wish to work and are shunned by employers, surely end up using the healthcare system more and causing more healthcare expenditures than would otherwise be the case. How, then, is our society helped by rampant discrimination against hiring older Americans who can do so very many important jobs?

It is not the "nation" that is doing anything.....

we have a for profit monetary system which thrives on scarcity...

we have the knowledge and resources to produce the needs of every person on the planet...

Things go UP in price when they are scarce, and we make them to fall apart so we can "employ people to make more....

the entire system ensures failure and scarcity.....

And they call this America, land of opportunities!

No one will hire you if you are over 41 and then you get a bunch of crap for being on food stamps, tanf and whatever else may be available thru the government. The 47% that Romeny forgot about is the 47% that needs the most help!!!

I would just like to point out that employment discrimination against someone over 40 years of age is a violation of federal law. If you think that you've been discriminated against because of age, you should file a complaint with the EEOC. Also, if you file such a complaint, and are retaliated against, by either the same or another company, this is also a violation of federal law. If it happens to you, you certainly have nothing to loose by filing a complaint, even if it might just be illegal on paper. Given the current job market, companies seem to have the attitude that they can do anything they want, and there has been alot of this happening lately.
If anybody has experienced age discrimination lately, and has filed a complaint with the EEOC, I would like to hear about your experince with the matter. Also, if you haven't, and have an opinion about the EEOC or an employer, I'd like to hear about that too!

The post by ExposeUSA is excellent and exposes the problems that we older American workers face trying to get back into the job marketplace. I have only held a couple of temporary jobs since 2008 and suspect that my age has disqualified me from some positions that I applied for, but I can't prove that. It would take me at least 2 more years of college to be qualified for an entry level position doing the exact same work I did for over a decade. Although I will keep looking for work, I have decided to retire early. I think that the post by elvis44102 is right on because the system we have now "ensures failure and scarcity." I have done a lot of research into poverty and homelessness and will try to find a way to publish it on a website or something as tips for facing this catastrophe that is upon us. It is almost as if a devastating earthquake struck and the institutions are still falling upon us. If we were to see this unemployment crisis as something akin to the Katrina hurricane, then FEMA and other government agencies would be doing something to help. Instead, the victims of this human-caused catastrophe are shunned, despised, and told that it is their fault that this has happened to them and millions of others. Age discrimination seems to be a double-edged sword, cutting at the young who are entering the workplace and the older seasoned workers who have made a contribution and are being tossed aside. I would like to spend some of my free time trying to find solutions to these problems. There are many reasons why unemployment is so high, but there doesn't seem to be a concerted effort to change things for the better. This problem will only become worse unless we are able to reverse the course that has been set for us. At this point we are pawns in the system, but we need to become players so that we can become winners.

I agree with USA and Elvis. If we do not do something we all are going to fall.

I can't believe after all my years of loyalty, hard work and experience, I am told that I am not skilled enough. I think these companies value our skills and experience but they do not want us to know that because if we did then we have something to bargain with. But they want to try to get them for free, temporarily, or for a low wage.