While most people say they favor Presidential age limits in general, not as many favor limits on Biden or Trump specifically
New York, New York (November 20, 2023) – President Joe Biden, the oldest president in American history, turns 81-years-old today. Many Americans say it’s time for him to retire.
Ladders, the career site for high paying jobs, in partnership with Guidant Polling & Strategy surveyed more than 1,000 American adults ranging from support staff to upper management, and across every income and work status. The Ageism in the Workplace National Survey revealed 67% of Americans favor capping the maximum age for President of the United States at the age of 75. This would also impact former president Donald Trump, the current frontrunner for the Republican nomination. He is 77-years-old.
While a large majority of Americans supported presidential age limits in general – dramatically fewer, less than half, supported age limits for Biden or Trump in particular. Forty-six percent said, “Biden, Trump, and other politicians like them are too old to be effective leaders and should be disqualified from seeking political office in the future.”
Ladders Head of Growth Marketing John Mullinix said, “I think it’s clear that people like age limits in theory but when it comes down to thinking about their candidate of choice, they’re willing to give a little more leeway.” Younger respondents and respondents with “some college” education were most likely to support age limits overall.
Americans want age limits for elected office but not for the corner office
Additional Ladders research shows most Americans want age limits for elected office in general but would not support those age limits in their own workplaces. Researchers 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 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.
About Ladders, Inc.
Ladders, Inc., is the number one career site for professionals seeking six-figure jobs and ongoing vocational enrichment. Ladders services, including Apply4Me and Ladders Premium, make top-end professionals’ lives easier. Ladders has more than seven million members who use the platform to manage, market and move up in their careers. Learn more at theladders.com.
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.
Media Contact: Laurie Monteforte | [email protected] | 570-656-3767
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