Joe Hockey says Australians need to be encouraged to work until later in life, but they say it’s not that easy. Source: Getty Images

The treasurer is urging older Australians to stay in the workforce beyond the age of 65 as the government’s five-yearly Intergenerational Report will today reveal Australians will soon have a life expectancy of almost 100.

The report suggests those who are not working, women in particular, need to be encouraged to get employment, re-enter the workforce, or prolong their careers.

Join the grey army … Joe Hockey’s report says older women need to be encouraged to work longer. Source: News Corp Australia

But ask older women, and they’ll tell you it’s not that easy.

A survey of 14,000 Australian women has revealed almost half believe they had personally been discriminated against because of their age, and 62 per cent of respondents believed employers are more likely to hire a candidate under the age of 40.

Sydney case worker Janice Quillity was made redundant when the company she worked for restructured three years ago, and has found it difficult to find work ever since, and believes it has a lot to do with her age.

The 53-year-old was told bluntly by an employment agency she should give up looking for work in her profession and just go for “a survival job”.

“I was told, just face it, you’re too old,” she says.

“When you’re competing for work with younger women, who may not be as qualified, who can be paid less and have a work ethic that’s more in line with the cost-cutting measures that employers seem to have in place, then it seems a lot harder.”

Source: DailyTelegraph

Ms Quillity relocated from the south coast to Sydney where she thought there would be more opportunity, and is desperate to find a job.

“I’m 53, I’m still a long way from retirement, I’m still needing work,” she says.

“I guess younger candidates might look better in suits, they might communicate better and it is competitive, but us older workers have a stronger work ethic. Especially in care professions, we really care.”

CEO of the Heat Group, the company that conducted the study, Gillian Franklin, says she was not surprised by the results, and thought the Treasurer’s suggestion older women needed to be encouraged to stay in the workforce was off the mark.

“That is a huge challenge. It’s not because women don’t want to work, it’s not because older people don’t want to work, but because employers discriminate against them,” she says.

“I was disappointed that the number is still as high. We’re aware that women believe they are discriminated against in the workplace because of their age and appearance, but employers should value experience of both older and younger workers to bring diversity to the workplace.”