NOTE: At the request of those impacted who were interviewed, we changed their names to protect them as many still apply for work in the tech industry.
SAN FRANCISCO — After two decades in tech public relations, marketing and communications, Chuck finally landed a new position — loading conveyor belts on the overnight shift at a warehouse. Despite applying to job openings well within his expertise, even at reduced salaries, he encountered only silence from employers.
Kathy, who left Silicon Valley in 2012 to pursue entrepreneurial ventures, recently began seeking new opportunities after closing her business. Three former colleagues — all men in their early to mid-40s — delivered the same blunt assessment: She was too old. They advised disguising her age on her résumé and warned that without internal connections, her prospects were “zero.”
Jess, 50, encountered similar barriers when job hunting in Austin’s tech scene in 2020. Younger recruiters questioned whether she’d accept “mid-level” positions given her “decades of experience.” In one screening, someone with fewer than eight years of post-college experience asked when she planned to retire.
Jordan Hubert, 42, who was laid off more than a year ago, has applied to hundreds of jobs since. He was especially encouraged after a positive interview at a tech PR agency recently, until he received the following feedback. “After further internal discussions, we have decided that what we really need is someone that is less experienced,” the agency said in an email.
“Experience used to be valued. Now, it’s about cheap salaries for younger employees. Silicon Valley is like the new Hollywood: You are considered too old at a young age,” lamented Hubert, who agreed to allow the use of his name in hopes of helping others in the same situation.
For now, he is getting by on contract work and freelancing. “This might be where things are headed,” Hubert said. “In this age of AI, we might not have full-time jobs but a gig economy.”
The experience reflects a growing crisis that seasoned professionals across industries are confronting: Systematic age discrimination that’s pushing qualified workers out of their fields entirely.
As the population ages, discrimination in hiring and on the job is becoming a more frequent topic of conversation among a growing number of Silicon Valley workers who are staring at their own expiration date.
Think of it as a modern-day version of “Logan’s Run,” a sci-fi movie about a futuristic society in which life ends at 30. That mindset was underscored in 2007, when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, then 22, told an audience at Stanford University, “Younger people are just smarter… Why are most chess masters under 30?”
While venture capitalists and startups often favor younger workers to minimize costs associated with higher salaries, healthcare expenses, and paid time off, industry data suggests this strategy may be counterproductive.
Companies led by experienced executives — such as NVIDIA Corp. under CEO Jensen Huang and enterprise software maker Workday Inc. — have emerged as category leaders. Meanwhile, the staggering 99% failure rate among startups that prioritize hiring workers under 30 points to a fundamental miscalculation in the youth-obsessed hiring model.
Critics argue that venture capital firms aren’t seeking wisdom and independent thinking but rather compliant employees willing to execute orders without question, creating a culture where financial considerations trump the strategic advantages of workplace experience.
Ageism in Tech: The Industry’s Overlooked Diversity Problem
As tech companies tout their commitments to diversity and inclusion, a persistent form of discrimination continues to fly under the radar: ageism. Recent studies and legal cases reveal that age bias remains deeply embedded in the industry’s culture, with workers over 35 increasingly finding themselves sidelined in favor of younger talent.
A comprehensive study by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission examining data from 2014 to 2022 paints a troubling picture. Workers aged 25 to 39 represent 41% of high-tech employees, significantly higher than their 33% share of the overall workforce. Meanwhile, workers 40 and older declined from 56% to 52% in tech roles during this period, despite comprising 53% of the broader U.S. workforce.
The perception problem runs deep. Research from data center specialist Keysource found that more than 75% of senior IT decision-makers acknowledge ageism within their own industry, with half identifying older generations as the most affected group.
Perhaps most striking is where the age line gets drawn. A study from the University of Gothenburg’s Nordicom research center found that tech workers over 35 are already considered “old” in the industry, while those up to 30 are viewed as “young.” This pushes the threshold for being labeled older back by two decades compared to other professions.
The issue has sparked a wave of litigation in 2024. Clearview AI settled a lawsuit after allegedly terminating older employees to make room for younger hires. In June, the AARP Foundation filed suit against Raytheon, claiming the defense contractor favored recent college graduates over experienced workers. A former TikTok executive also sued in February, alleging the company systematically preferred younger, less experienced employees.
The layoff wave that swept through tech in early 2024, claiming over 100,000 jobs in the first six months alone, has intensified concerns. Leaked emails from Amazon.com Inc. show managers were encouraged to prioritize hiring college students and recent graduates over seasoned developers. On Tuesday, the company began layoffs of 14,000 workers with plans to slash up to 30,000 positions.
The Cost of Age Discrimination
Beyond the ethical concerns, companies may be shooting themselves in the foot. Research from the London School of Economics found that employees at organizations with age-inclusive practices were twice as likely to report job satisfaction and less than half as likely to seek new positions. These same workers also reported higher productivity levels.
Yet despite mounting evidence of both the problem and its solutions, age diversity remains conspicuously absent from most tech companies’ DEI initiatives. While gender and racial diversity have gained significant attention and resources, the age question continues to be overlooked.
As the tech workforce matures and lifespans extend, the industry’s age bias may prove increasingly unsustainable. The question is whether companies will address the issue proactively or wait for legal and competitive pressures to force their hand.
When Seth Potter sold his last company, AI.reverie, to Meta Platforms Inc. in August 2021, he was set to land at a venture capital firm – until he was told he was too old at 56.
“Corporations are on pause and scaling back,” said Potter, co-founder of OpenWater Group, an 800-member online community launched nearly two years ago where “seasoned professionals reimagine success through shared wisdom and meaningful connections.”
