Economic Development & Security

With women in the US living longer and postponing retirement, whether out of necessity or by choice, many face economic hardship and discrimination. Although illegal in theory, older women may, in practice, be excluded from job or promotional opportunities based on misconceptions about their abilities or customer preferences for youth. Dual discrimination on the job is evidenced by older women being denied access to training programs and being channeled into positions without upward mobility. Retirement benefits are being further eroded by a weakening of organized labor, economic restructuring and budget cutbacks.