Age Discrimination in Hiring: Evidence from Online Job Ads

We analyze explicit age discrimination in hiring decisions and job seekers’ responses in the Chinese labor market, using a large-scale dataset of job postings with ad-level group characteristics of applicants. In nearly 48% of postings, employers explicitly exclude certain age groups, with significant variation across firm types, sizes, industries, and occupations. We show that employers’ explicit age requests are shaped by statistical and taste-based discrimination reflected in job skill requirements and ageist language, as well as constraints such as expected processing costs, and competition in labor demand. Our findings align with a labor demand model where employers decide whether to consider (undesired) candidates from an additional age group based on their search factors and preferences. On the supply side, we leverage the distribution of applicant characteristics such as age and education level to show that age requirements are interpreted as signals rather than strict barriers. Nonetheless, explicit age restrictions substantially alter the applicant pool by attracting younger applicants while discouraging skilled workers.