age discrimination?

<p>Which engineering professions (if any) suffer from age discrimination? Or is it just an outrageous myth? Thanks.</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=287198%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=287198&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I saw that thread too, but I thought there were fresh voices in the crowd...</p>

<p>The essential point is that engineering age discrimination is a myth.</p>

<p>Let me provide another viewpoint. My company just today went through yet another round of layoffs of their R&D staff (mostly electrical and software). Were they laid off because of age? No. Were they laid off because they make too much? Well, yes when you look at who will be replacing them. Our company now makes no secret that they want to move most of their R&D headcount off shore where the labor is much cheaper. This means that R&D staff in the US will continue to shrink.</p>

<p>As to age discrimination, I would guess that most companies are very concerned about laying off older people and keeping younger people - the statistics resulting from this would invite a court case. However, once you are laid off and then try to get re-hired, if you are a gray hair, your chances of finding a new job in engineering will be very difficult - at least based upon the experience of colleagues who been through this.</p>

<p>What is your company fundingfather, if I may inquire?</p>

<p>Let's just say that it is a Fortune 500 company that deals in hi tech products in the communications sector.</p>