David Neumark, economics Chancellor’s Professor and Center for Economics & Public Policy director, has received a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to study age discrimination in employer hiring practices. As the U.S. population continues to age, the dependency ratio rises. Extending the work life of older workers could help lower this ratio by increasing tax revenues and decreasing public expenditures on insurance and retirement. Age discrimination in employer hiring practices, however, may limit this trajectory. Findings from this study will help policy makers understand if discrimination is a factor and if so, identify areas in which policies could be created to combat it.

The study begins in October and will run through September 2015.