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The main goal of this paper is to test whether older Hungarian women face age discrimination in the job market. The theoretical framework of this paper measures the level of discrimination and highlights that age discrimination leads to a waste of human resources.

Two pairs of fictitious CVs were created; each pair included a younger (34 years old) and an older woman (60 years old) with an age difference of 26 years. One pair was designed for office assistant positions, the other for economic analyst positions. The contents of the CVs with photos were entirely fabricated except for active email addresses and phone numbers to allow responses to be tracked. LinkedIn accounts were also created for the analysts. Applications were sent over a four-month period from November 2019. The rate of invitation to interviews was analysed with mathematical statistical methods and a small probability model.

The younger job seekers were invited to interviews about 2.2 times more often than the older ones. Based on the authors’ probability model, employers evaluate the skills of older applicants at only 45–67% of their actual skills.

The experiment had to be stopped due to the Covid-19 lockdown as there were no new job postings.

The experiment demonstrates that age discrimination exists in Hungary. In addition to traditional audit job applications through HR portals, we used LinkedIn too. The small probability model applies an old framework in a new environment.

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Researchers in Hungary tested for age discrimination using two pairs of fictitious CVs containing younger (34 years old) and older (60 years old) female applicants. The results showed the younger job seekers were invited for interviewees 2.2 times more often than the older ones. They concluded age discrimination existed.

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