Connecticut employers could soon be prevented from asking for a job applicant's date of birth, school graduation or school attendance dates, under a bill that unanimously cleared the state Senate on Wednesday.
The bill, which proponents hope will counteract age discrimination, now awaits further action in the House of Representatives.
“Today, Connecticut moved one giant step closer to closing a loophole in state law and protecting our older worker," said state Sen. Derek Slap, D-West Hartford, who has been pushing for the legislation over the past three years. “No one should be vetted for a job simply because of their age. We lose too much experience, too much opportunity, and too much economic activity when certain folks are prevented from even getting their foot in the door for a job.”
The legislation is supported by AARP Connecticut, which urged the House to take “quick action” on the bill and “protect older workers from discrimination."
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There are roughly 436,000 workers in their mid-50s in Connecticut, according to Slap, making the state's workforce the sixth-oldest in the nation with a median age of 41 as of 2017. In 2008, 20% of the state's workers were over age 54. That figure has since grown today to 26.5%.
