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Age Discrimination in Employment in Canada

Author

Listed:
  • Morley Gunderson

Abstract

Issues pertaining to age discrimination in employment in Canada are analyzed with a view toward highlighting lessons that may be learned from the Canadian experience—an experience that is taking on increased policy importance. Reasons for the increased attention to age discrimination issues are outlined, followed by a portrayal of the age discrimination legislation and court interpretations in Canada, especially as they pertain to mandatory retirement. Enforcement aspects are discussed, as is the evidence on age discrimination in employment and the effectiveness of legislation with respect to age discrimination and mandatory retirement. The article concludes with a discussion of the lessons to be learned from the Canadian experience, especially with respect to the poorly understood but complicated relationship between age discrimination and mandatory retirement. Policy recommendations for strengthening age discrimination legislation are also outlined. (JEL J14, J24, J71)

Suggested Citation

  • Morley Gunderson, 2003. "Age Discrimination in Employment in Canada," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 21(3), pages 318-328, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:coecpo:v:21:y:2003:i:3:p:318-328
    DOI: 10.1093/cep/byg013
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. M. Shannon & D. Grierson, 2004. "Mandatory retirement and older worker employment," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 37(3), pages 528-551, August.
    2. admin, clsrn & Gomez, Rafael & Gunderson, Morley, 2009. "For Whom the 'Retirement' Bell Tolls: Inter-temporal Comparisons Using the 1994 and 2002 Canadian General Social Survey," CLSSRN working papers clsrn_admin-2009-31, Vancouver School of Economics, revised 22 Apr 2009.
    3. Carsten Creutzburg & Wolfgang Maennig & Steffen Q. Mueller, 2026. "From bias to bliss: Racial preferences and worker productivity in tennis," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 44(2), pages 380-393, April.
    4. Aurelian SOFICĂ, 2012. "The social network of actors influencing age discrimination in the human resources recruiting process," Eastern Journal of European Studies, Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, vol. 3, pages 169-188, June.
    5. Warman, Casey & Worswick, Christopher, 2010. "Mandatory Retirement Rules and the Retirement Decisions of University Professors in Canada," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(6), pages 1022-1029, December.
    6. Fang, Tony & Gunderson, Morley & Lee, Byron, 2021. "Can Older Workers Be Retrained? Canadian Evidence from Worker-Firm Linked Data," IZA Discussion Papers 14282, IZA Network @ LISER.
    7. Worswick, Chris, 2005. "Regles relatives a la retraite obligatoire et decisions de retraite des professeurs d'universite au Canada," Direction des études analytiques : documents de recherche 2005271f, Statistics Canada, Direction des études analytiques.
    8. Aurelian Sofica, 2009. "Age Discrimination In Human Resource Recruiting Process," JOURNAL STUDIA UNIVERSITATIS BABES-BOLYAI NEGOTIA, Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Business.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing

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