Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/305667 
Year of Publication: 
2024
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 17225
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
In many countries, age discrimination appears to be driven by negative perceptions that recruiters stereotypically hold about older candidates' technological skills, trainability, and flexibility. Based on human capital, signalling, and screening theories, we hypothesise that training programmes might both compensate for and mitigate these ageist stereotypes and thereby improve these candidates' hiring chances. We test this pathway out of age discrimination by designing a scenario experiment in which professional recruiters assess the recruitability and human capital perceptions of fictitious candidates varying in age and (willingsness for) participation in apprenticeship training at older ages. Our results demonstrate that candidates indicating their (willingness for) participation in such training to obtain relevant work experience are more likely to be recruited than candidates without such experience, regardless of their age. Although apprenticeship training can compensate for age discrimination, it cannot mitigate this as the premium it yields is not higher for older workers.
Subjects: 
hiring discrimination
older workers
labour market programmes
apprenticeships
signalling
scenario experiment
JEL: 
J14
J24
J71
Document Type: 
Working Paper

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.