Are you past landing a job at 55? The reality of ageism despite labour shortages
From reporter Amanda Cropp:
For older job-seekers like Christine Black, the low unemployment rate has improved her odds of getting an interview.
The 61-year-old accountant recently got shortlisted for a call centre job, an improvement on five years ago when she applied for the same position and didn’t get a look in.
Being asked if you have any health issues or told you are over-qualified, (which she was for the call centre position), can be shorthand for “you’re too old,” and Black says ageism is still a problem.
“Somebody said to me ‘your life experience exceeds our expectations’ ... I know a lot of under-employed women between 50 and 65.”
A third of the workforce is over the age of 55, and the proportion working past retirement age has risen steadily.
In 2008, 15% of those aged 65-plus were employed, compared with just over 25% in 2022.
According to Stats NZ forecasts, by 2043 the labour force will have up to 386,000 people aged 65-plus, almost double the number in 2020.
The Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, and unless it is a genuine qualification for a job – such as bar work – it can be unlawful for an employer to ask your age in a job interview.
Read the full story here.
Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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42.4% Yes
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31.6% Maybe?
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26% No
Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’
If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.
Appeal for information following burglaries: Christchurch
Police investigating a stolen trailer and motorcycles in the Christchurch area are seeking help from the public.
On Monday 15 December, Police received a report that the trailer [pictured] had been stolen sometime overnight on Sunday 14 December, from an address on Kairua Road in Hornby.
The trailer - registration U110C - was then used in a burglary of four motorcycles from an address on Almond Lane, Prebbleton on Monday 15 December.
Police have since located the trailer and are now needing the public’s assistance to try find where the trailer has been or who may have been driving the vehicle towing it.
If you have any information regarding the thefts or the trailers movements from Sunday 14 December, around 4pm, onwards please contact Police.
Information can be provided through 105, either online or over the phone, please use reference number: 251215/1054.
Alternatively, you can make a report anonymously though Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111, using the same reference number.
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