AGE-DISCRIMINATION, JOB SEPARATIONS, AND EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF OLDER WORKERS - EVIDENCE FROM SELF-REPORTS

This paper explores the consequences of age discrimination iri the wor kplace by analyzing self-reports of discrimination in the National Lon gitudinal Survey of Older Men, for the period 1966-80. Workers with po sitive reports were much more likely to separate from their employer a nd less likely to remain employed than workers who report no employer- related age discrimination. The findings for job separations, but not employment status, are robust to numerous attempts to correct the esti mates for the inherent limitations of self-reported data, particularly heterogeneity in the propensity to report discrimination, the influen ce of mandatory retirement, and the possibility that other negative la bor market outcomes are attributed to discrimination.