Applying for a Job? Your Age? Your Gender? ...

 A resume correspondence study on the basis of more than 40,000 job applications for four occupations (administrative jobs, sales, security jobs, janitor jobs) found "robust evidence of age discrimination in hiring against older women, especially those near retirement age, but considerably less evidence of age discrimination against men".

For the four occupations combined, callback rates were significantly lower when the applicants were perceived as older, i.e., by 18% for middle-aged workers and about 35% for older workers.

For administrative jobs, the callback rate was 14,4% for applicants aged 29 to 31, 10,3% for those aged 49 to 51 and 7,6% for applicants aged 64 to 66. 

For sales jobs, there was not really a difference between young and middle-aged applicantsn in terms of callback rate. However, the callback rate for older applicants was 30% lower. In addition, there was evidence of stronger age discrimination of female applicants. 

For security jobs too, there were more or less equal callback rates for middle-aged and older applicants. Again, both were lower than the callback rate for younger applicants. 

And, finally, for janitor jobs, the callback rate for older applicants was significantly lower than the rate for middle-aged or younger applicants (Neumark, Burn & Button, 2018).

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- Neumark, D., Burn, I. & Button, P. (2018). Is It Harder For Older Workers to Find Jobs? New and Improved Evidence from a Field Experiment. Journal of Political Economy, 127(2), link
- photograph by Flip Schulke via

Multilevel Relationships between Perceived Age Discrimination and Happiness

Abstract: The present study examines how contextual age discrimination moderates the individual-level association between perceived age discrimination and happiness among older Europeans. In this endeavor, we test two opposing views: 1) the "social norm" hypothesis that predicts the association between perceived age discrimination and happiness to become weaker in areas with a higher average level of age discrimination; and 2) conversely the "contagion effect" hypothesis that predicts the association to grow stronger in such areas. 

Using data from the European Social Survey (2008), we estimate two- and three-level mixed effects models to test these opposing hypotheses. Our findings from multilevel analysis lend support to the social norm hypothesis. Specifically, the negative link between perceived age discrimination and happiness is weaker in subnational regions where the proportion of victims of age discrimination is higher. (Hyun Jung & Hyun-Soo Kim,  2023)

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- Hyun Jung, J. & Hyun-Soo Kim, H. (2023). Does Misery Love Company? Multilevel Relationships between Perceived Age Discrimination and Happiness among Older Europeans. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 42(6), 1234-124, link
- photograph by Flip Schulke via

Devaluing the Elderly, Devaluing Residential Long-Term Workers

As of 2022, in the United States, the median hourly pay for workers in nursing homes and residential care facility industries is 15.22 dollars (vs the US median hourly wage of 20.7 dollars). 7.2% of these workers live in poverty (vs 5.3% poverty rate for all workers) and 6.9% are covered by a union contract (vs the rate of 11.9% for the overall workforce). Compared to workers in general, residential long-term care workers are also less likely to be covered by employer-provided retirement and health insurance benefits. 80.9% of the workers are women, a disproportionate number (22.4%) Black women and immigrant women (12.8%). (via)

“For too long, our society has devalued the elderly and people with disabilities as well as the workers who help them lead more enriched and independent lives. It is no coincidence that women—particularly women of color and immigrants—perform much of this hands-on care work, both paid and unpaid, in homes and in residential long-term care settings.”
Julia Wolfe

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photograph by Flip Schulke via

Age and Heat-Related Disability

Abstract: This study examines how functional disability worsens among older adults exposed to extreme heat, particularly those socially isolated. Analyzing data from over 35,000 older adults aged 50 or older from the Health and Retirement Study from 1996-2018, this study found that more frequent exposure to extreme heat is associated with an increase in the number of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) that older adults find difficulty in performing over time. 

 

This heat-related disability progression is greater among those living alone and not working. However, findings indicate that maintaining contact with children and receiving higher levels of support from friends can alleviate the risk of IADL disability progression amidst extreme heat days for older adults with limited social relationships at home and work. By examining various aspects of social isolation and their nuanced effects, this study underscores the need for social support and assistance for older adults during extreme heat. (Hyunjung et al., 2024)

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- Hyunjung Ji, Su Hyun Shin, Alexandria Coronado 1, Hee Yun Lee (2024).Extreme Heat, Functional Disability, and Social Isolation: Risk Disparity Among Older Adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, link
- photograph by Flip Schulke (1930-2008) via

"I feel like a caged pig in here." The Role of Ethnicity in a Nursing Home.

Abstract: Racial disparities in nursing home (NH) quality of life (QOL) are well established, yet, little is understood about actual experiences shaping QOL for Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) residents in NHs. This gap extends to BIPOC residents with limited English proficiency (LEP). 

Drawing on Kane's (2001) and Zubristky's (2013) QOL frameworks, this case study examined QOL experiences for Hmong NH residents, an ethnic and refugee group from Southeast Asia, in a NH with a high proportion of BIPOC residents. Methods include four months of observation, interviews with eight Hmong residents and five NH staff, and one community focus group. Thematic analysis revealed significant challenges in QOL. Exacerbated by language barriers and racism, many residents reported neglect, limited relationships, lack of meaningful activities, and dissatisfaction with food. These experiences fostered a sense of resignation and diminished QOL among Hmong residents, highlighting the need for additional supports for this group. (See Thao, Davilla & Shippee, 2024)

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- See Thao, M., Davilla, H., Shippee, T. (2024).  "I feel like a caged pig in here": Language, Race, and Ethnic Identity in a Case Study Hmong Nursing Home Resident Quality of Life. Journal of Applied Gerontology, link

- photograph by Flip Schulke via

Safety in Housing for Older Adults

Abstract: Housing solutions for older adults aim at providing a safe environment to live in. The construction is heavily based on aspects of physical safety, often disregarding the social aspects of feeling safe. The older adults themselves are looking for a living environment that supports their individual capacities and social networks. 

The living environment can contribute to their physical, social, and emotional safety by providing accessible housing and spaces for community building. Interviews with older adults who had recently lived through a building fire highlighted the importance of the community in daily life, in emergency as well as in recovery from hazards. The results show that community building is related to access to common-use spaces and daily interaction with neighbors. The shared spaces in the immediate surroundings can enhance community cohesion and generate peer support. The common-use spaces and public facilities in urban environment have a significant role in emergencies and in the process of recovery from adversities. (Verma, 2024)

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- Verma, I. (2024). Safety in Housing for Older Adults - A Qualitative Study. Journal of Applied Gerontology, link

- photograph by Flip Schulke via