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> I expect discriminating by amount of relevant experience is fair, but that's not the same as age.

As someone who started coding at age 9, I agree. :-)

It's not about hiring someone in their 40s per se, but rather about recognizing the value of 20 years' experience. Age alone doesn't impart wisdom.

As others have stated, "age discrimination" is a bit of a misnomer. It's completely legal to say that you're not hiring someone (under 40) because they're too young. A more accurate description would be "discrimination based on age of a candidate over the age of 40" but that doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well.

People under 40 are not a protected group under Federal law. People over 40 are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_discrimination_law_...

Are employers so dumb that they would hire on the basis you're suggesting without considering the arguments put forward in the piece? Young and old have, perhaps, on average, different characteristics worthy of note if you're hiring someone. Is all!