摘要：The purpose of this paper is to expose a dilemma in today’s workplace; that is, employers
are overlooking well qualified applicants for open positions based upon age and/or
unemployment status choosing instead to hire younger applicants with a history of continued
employment who may be less qualified for the position. The economy remains fragile and its
rebound has not occurred as quickly as projected which has resulted in little movement and job
growth and the unemployed remaining unemployed for even longer periods of time.
Additionally, potential employers are exercising pre-employment methodologies that raise
questions about professional ethics and fair employment practices. The recent Sony Ericsson
case brought to focus a new form of alleged discrimination - refusing to consider any
unemployed applicant and contributing even more frustration to the challenges facing the longterm
unemployed, many of whom are over the age of 40. The long-term unemployed, while not
a protected legal class according to federal and most state laws, may pose an ethical crossroads
for employers when considering someone for hire. This paper presents an historical perspective
of age discrimination in employment and investigates the plight of the long-term unemployed. A
practical approach for employers and human resource management educators is presented to
ensure that all employment decisions are handled in a fair, consistent, and ethical manner
关键词：age discrimination, unemployed, long term unemployed, ethics in hiring, historical
perspective of age discrimination
