Americans want career age limits on politicians but not on themselves

Ladders study finds widespread differences between personal and political expectations

Research shows most Americans want age limits for elected office but not for the corner office. In a partnership with Guidant Polling & Strategy we surveyed more than 1,000 American adults ranging from support staff to upper management, and across every income and work status.

They found that while 65% or respondents demanded age limits for political leaders, only 28% supported age cutoffs in the workplace. “‘Fire old politicians but don’t touch my job,’ is what we heard in this survey,” said Ladders founder Marc Cenedella. “People clearly want much stricter limits on our elected leaders than they want applied to themselves.” 

Americans support career age limits – but not for everyone
While Americans as a whole mostly supported congressional age limits and mostly opposed company age limits, results among adults aged 55 and above were most telling. Only 20% of participants aged 55 and older said they support maximum age limits at companies. Overall, women were about 15% less likely than men to support any age limit. “We’re seeing a clear attitude of ‘limits for thee but not for me’ in these responses,” said Ladders Head of Growth Marketing John Mullinix. “That’s likely a self preservation mechanism. No one wants to become a target of age discrimination.”

Personal experiences
Most respondents said age discrimination in the workplace is common. About 35% of them reported they had been treated unfairly or discriminated against at work because of their age. Participants noted they’ve seen discrimination against both younger and older workers, though they felt there were more examples involving older workers. 

Mandatory Retirement age

Personal experiences also came into play when Americans considered mandatory retirement ages. More than 65% of respondents said elected officials should have to retire at age 75, while about 40% said companies should implement mandatory retirement at age 75. “It’s interesting to note that the older a respondent was, the less likely they were to support the mandated retirement age. So, I think it’s clear that people answer these questions from a frame of how it would impact them personally. For the youngest workers, 75 can feel very far away,” said John Mullinix, Chief Growth Officer at Ladders.

About Guidant Polling and Strategy (GPS)
Guidant Polling and Strategy (GPS) is a national political and public affairs research firm. GPS combines expertise in both research and the application of research to public affairs and political campaigns. Whether it’s managing the reputation of a large corporation, developing a messaging strategy in a public affairs effort, or devising a winning strategy at the ballot box, GPS designs research instruments to gain actionable knowledge. Learn more at guidantps.com. 

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Media Contact: Laurie Monteforte | [email protected] | 570-656-3767