Age is the most widely experienced form of discrimination in Europe, according to new research commissioned by Age UK. 35% of people across 28 European countries say they have experienced unfair treatment because of their age and 64% of those interviewed in the UK judge age discrimination as a serious problem.
The findings from the research commissioned by Age UK, A snapshot of ageism in the UK and across Europe are based on analysis of data from a European study involving nearly 55,000 people from all different age groups and compares data from 28 countries throughout Europe. The findings reveal that despite recent legislation tackling the issue, age discrimination in employment is still a huge problem.
Some 35% of people across 28 European countries say they have experienced unfair treatment because of their age, compared with a quarter that have experienced sex discrimination and 17% who have experienced race discrimination. Some 64% of those interviewed in the UK judge age discrimination as a serious problem, compared with 44% across Europe. The UK figure was second behind France (68%).
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