Older IT Workers Left Out Despite Tech Talent Shortage

A Robert Half International poll found older technology workers cannot find jobs despite the talent shortage in the United States, reports the Wall Street Journal . More than 80 percent of employers said recruiting tech talent is one of their biggest business challenges. CompTIA estimated that employees aged 22 to 44 currently account for 61 percent of the information technology (IT) sector, but only 49 percent of the workforce across all occupations. Meanwhile, workers 45 and older represent 38 percent of all IT employees at U.S. companies, while the comparable figure for all occupations is 44 percent. The largest gap is among workers ages 35 to 44, who constitute 29 percent of the IT workforce, but just 21 percent of the overall national workforce, said CompTIA's Tim Herbert. The age imbalance between IT and the overall U.S. workforce began about 10 years ago and has grown over time. "In such a candidate-tight market, hiring managers can't afford to overlook any potential talent pool," argued Robert Half's John Reed.