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The largest generation since the depression is a group of people called The Baby Boomers, who are between the ages of 48 and 63. Therefore, the largest group of overqualified, overeducated, over-experienced people exists now. What does this mean for the recession/economic situation in which we currently find ourselves?

The economy is in the tank. The youngest baby boomers are turning 50 if they haven’t already. The latter fact makes the first one worse, and in turn, the economic situation makes hiring more experienced workers more of an issue.

Some feel one reason many companies are doing poorly or going out of business is the quality of employee, or lack of quality thereof. And neglecting personnel with more experience because the implication is that they will want a higher salary only exacerbates the situation.

For years some employers have hired less-experienced personnel in order to save money. In so doing, they skimp on experience and therefore quality. In an economic crunch, this occurs more so employers can save money. If they hire less experienced personnel they can pay them less. People are complaining that they are not being considered for work, are let go or forced to leave a job due to their experience. And it’s not because they are considered too old and incapable. Rather, it is because they are considered overqualified. The employed are being offered early retirement, or employers make excuses to eliminate them, rather than to increase their pay with added experience. And job seekers with more experience are not considered.

Not Old, Just Overqualified

Employers who are educated about the law realize that under the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects employees and job applicants 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. Under ADEA, it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of his or her age with regard to any term, condition, or privilege of employment which includes hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments and training. However, most employers will not state that age is or may be a factor, as they would not state that sex or race is. An employer may find other ways to eliminate a potential employee who is “older”. One way is to term the person “overqualified”.

Typically, and particularly today with people aging much more gracefully and healthfully, an employer is not so much concerned about age, but whether or not they are obligated to pay the employee more due to their experience. A thirty-five-year-old might be considered “overqualified” if he or she has 12 years of experience and an advanced degree.

A Large Percentage of Workers in the Fifty to Sixty Age Group Are Unemployed

The fact of the matter is that most people who are considered overqualified are over the age of 50. So here is the dilemma: What happens to our economy when the overqualified cannot find work? If many overqualified people are unable to work, will our economy suffer more?

Less Money Fueling the Economy

Many issues stem from hiring less experienced but less costly personnel. One is that more experienced personnel have more responsibilities, own more and overall, can and do spend more. So if this segment of society cannot earn, they cannot spend.

Decreased Productivity or Capability Equals Decreased Revenue

Another issue is that businesses may suffer if they only hire persons younger than 50. If their hires are merely “suitable”, they may be unable to perform as well or as quickly as the more experienced. Lower productivity usually translates to fewer sales. So, again, will the economy suffer more as a result?

Experience Equals Knowledge About Safety Concerns

While it may not matter too much in an industry like retail, where less experience is satisfactory, many industries survive on safety statistics. When someone is injured or dies, a company’s reputation suffers and its legal department gets a bonus. Safety concerns are raised in many industries such as medicine, the airlines and other transportation, and manufacturing, when hiring less experienced individuals. Imagine a misused medication, or the inability to land an airplane safely in poor weather conditions (think Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III, 57, who landed a plane safely with no casualties January 2009, based on his ability and experience).

The Internet: Friend or Foe?

More than ever, job seekers feel the importance of networking and find benefits but also issues with the Internet. “It is whom you know, and not what you know” is a phrase many have heard or uttered for years. And though networking on some levels has been made simpler and more efficient via Internet sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook, in many ways networking also has been depersonalized. Many applicants lament that it is harder to schedule a meeting or interview because more people feel they get the information they require online (via a resume or cover letter where it concerns job seeking) and find it easy enough to ignore people. More often today human resources departments of companies skip mailing denial letters to applicants, so people are left in the dark. Additionally, it is easy to be transparent on the Internet in particular with anonymous sign-ons. It is simple to claim lack of receipt of an email.

Online job applications are easier for applicants in most cases, but they also make it easier for potential employers to screen people out when the denial is not face-to-face. It is easer to ignore applications when they are submitted online. Thus, many excellent candidates avoid consideration by failing to apply online or network.

Small Business Startups

Many good and valuable potential employees are starting their own businesses. While this creates beneficial personal satisfaction and does help boost the economy on a small level, a small business does not contribute a lot to the larger economic structure.

Scary Tactics

Applicants and employers alike are resorting to sneaky ways to get around what they need. Below are several real scenarios that some Baby Boomers have experienced in their job searches in recent months and tactics to which they have been forced to turn.

• One individual attended a job interview and was questioned by the employer, who used the applicant’s ideas without hiring the individual.
• Another individual interviewed and was told she was overqualified. She replied, “If you want, I can under-produce.”
• Another person told a prospective employer that though she could be paid more that she would produce work in half the time, plus she could offer additional work, advice, and help spot trouble areas in the organization that she could recognize based on her experienced.

 Sorry, We Hired Someone Who More Closely Suits Our Needs

United States workers are wondering when the interview process became a negotiation and why they are being made to feel they have to resort to tactics such as the above in order to sideswipe the possibility that, due to experience and education, one might be turned down due to having “too much” versus not enough.

What Can Workers Do?

The jury is still out. One option is for older workers to band together. There are organizations built on the notion of assisting those old enough to retire, that is, 50, such as AARP. However, there are many under the age of 50 who are denied their rightful positions in organizations due to excess experience. Potential employees can seek out employers who are willing to hire experienced or older workers. And those lucky enough to be unionized enjoy different scenarios, but that percentage of the workforce is smaller than ever.

Millions of very well qualified workers are not employed, and the U.S. Unemployment rate increases, as does the unemployment benefit payout. Potential employees feel helpless as their choices decline and their input and power less effective.

On a positive note, one could surmise that currently hired younger and less experienced workers will at some point gain the necessary experience. In the meantime, perhaps U.S. industry, human resources, and workers need to re-evaluate the trend and its negative effects, which already have been pinpointed.

Paula R. Chapman is a freelance writer. Visit her site at http://jrtprods.com