COLUMBUS, Ohio — Lexie Wildermuth is the regional workforce development manager for Vantage Aging. She said she sees firsthand how age discrimination is impacting older people every day who are struggling to survive even with social security. 

 “Age discrimination, individuals that are 40 and over, is illegal. But unfortunately, a lot of the clients that I work with still face discrimination in the workplace and have a hard time getting hired,” said Wildermuth. 

What You Need To Know

  • It's National Employ Older Workers Week 

  • Although age discrimination in the workplace is illegal, experts said individuals still struggle with it

  • More seniors are leaving retirement and re-entering the workforce because social security isn't enough in this economy

“A lot of the people that are in our program are on Social Security, and so they have that retirement. But it's not enough to make ends meet. And so they have to come back into the workforce,” said Wildermuth. 

Because older people are leaving retirement and reentering to the workforce, Wildermuth said a lot of individuals not only face age discrimination, but also struggle with the advanced technology used in the workplace which adds to the discrimination. But just because some struggle with technology doesn’t mean their work ethic has changed. 

“Age is just a number for them and they feel healthy and willing to work and that they you know, they can't even imagine that they're getting older in age and it doesn't feel real,” said Wildermuth.

The Ohio Department of Aging offers a program called the Senior Community Service Employment Program. It’s a paid community service and work-based training program for income eligible job seekers age 55 and up. Wildermuth said she believes when you are at the retirement age, you shouldn’t have to worry. 

“I want individuals to have the best access to be able to meet their basic needs. That's really something that I'm passionate about. And then as we retire, we should be able to, you know, we should be able to relax,” said Wildermuth. 

Priority for the program is given to veterans and their spouses, people over the age of 65, minorities and seniors with limited English and reading skills. You can go to the Department of Aging’s website for guidance on how to determine if you’re eligible.