I realize this thread is about student loan issues, about which I’ve already commented, but your point about employers hiring younger vs. older workers is also interesting.
Most of my pilot friends were able to retire, semi-retire, take on new ventures in their 50’s, or all of the above–as I have. Since airline positions have union protection, most any pilot who chooses to, can continue working until they are 65 without concern of age discrimination–and many do–because of their incredibly high earnings.
For friends in other fields (especially those without union protection), who have found themselves unemployed, and/or without retirement funding in their late 40’s or 50’s+ it has been a completely different story, and many have found themselves permanently unemployed–after losing “the” job.
I think that trend will continue, unabated, going forward, since many of the most in-demand careers today require fresh new talent, with fresh new skills–at least from the employer’s point of view.
This trend does not bode well for younger workers, and I think many will find themselves in a very precarious situation when they reach a certain age–just as those who have come before them have.
My advice would be to make sure you are financially prepared for retirement by the time you hit 50–whether you continue working or not–because who knows what might happen after that–and it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
