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negative legal consequences a company would hire anyone over age 50 for a position other than senior management; 20 percent admit that older workers, other than senior executives, have less opportunity for promotions or training; and 12 percent admit that older workers' pay raises are not as large as those of younger workers in the same category.

The prevailing theme of age discrimination in the work force results in not only frustration in older workers, but poses a serious threat to the welfare of older persons who require an income for their support. This is especially true because many persons over 45 still have significant financial obligations, and that group is chiefly impacted. According to the 1990 edition of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging's report, 73 percent of persons age 65 or older had a total annual income of less than $15,000. Furthermore, less than half of the workforce is covered by a private pension plan and most older workers do not have substantial holdings in savings, stocks, insurance policies or bonds. Prolonged unemployment due to forced retirement or lack of employment opportunities does not just have financial consequences, but mental and physical consequences as well. The added stress of forced retirement or the inability to secure satisfactory employment can increase frustration, feelings of hopelessness, depression, and in some cases, shorten the life span.

Stereotypes can be blamed for much of the discrimination that older workers encounter. There is a continuing belief that older workers are less productive, will take more sick days and are less familiar with technology. Research in this area proves otherwise, however. According to studies conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP, job performance is positively correlated with increasing age. Older workers are not only more productive than their younger counterparts, but they also tend to be more mature and task oriented and are valued for their positive attitudes. They tend to stay on the job longer than younger employees, and can offer experience, reliability and loyalty. Furthermore, employers evaluated older workers highest for their productivity, attendance, commitment to quality, and overall work performance. The same study also showed that older workers actually take fewer sick days than their younger co-workers. What's more, though older workers are in fact often less familiar with new technology, the AARP reports the worker is not to

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