DISCRIMINATION ON THE GROUND

OF AGE

PUBLIC OPINION A study of Lithuanian public opinion on

the discrimination of various social groups revealed that age discrimination was experienced by the greatest number of participants of the study, i.e. 8% (age discrimination was more prevalent among the older participants)

LABOUR MARKET Age discrimination is most keenly felt

in the labour market. 10% of the participants of the survey indicated that they feel discriminated against in a given area because of their age; almost 50% of them said they feel discrimination in the labour market. This response was more common among people aged 46 or above.

PREJUDICES In response to the question "Have you

encountered prejudice based on your age when seeking employment?", 7% of the survey participants responded in the affirmative. 49% of them said that the employers were looking for younger workers.

THE ELDERLY The situation of older people in the

labour market is rather problematic in Lithuania: only 44.8% of Lithuanian residents aged 50 or above are employed.  In terms of employing older people, Lithuania ranks 9th in the European Union.

THE YOUTH At present, the situation in the labour

market is much more favourable to young unemployed people than to their older peers. The number of young unemployed people fell by almost a quarter in the first half of 2015 – 24.7%; unemployment among older people decreased by 2%.

STATISTICS According to the Lithuanian Labour

Exchange, 19.1 thousand unemployed people under 25 years of age were registered in the country by 1 July 2015, with them comprising 5.2% of the country's population aged 16-24. There were 62.9 thousand registered employed people who were older than 50 in the same period; they accounted for 13.6% of their age group within the population.

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE ELDERLY A 2015 study revealed that old age is

thought very little of in Lithuania. This is not only done by the public at large – the elderly also think very little of old age.The stigma of old age and discrimination against the elderly is stronger in Lithuania than in progressive European countries – in this respect, Lithuania is closer to post-communist and Mediterranean countries.

CHILDREN DISCRIMINATION There were also practices in 2013-

2014 that discriminated against children due to their age. In 2013, one company posted following information on its website: "Please be advised that from 18:00 children under 12 are not allowed entry into the restaurant. Thank you for your understanding."

CONCLUSIONS Age discrimination is one of the most

common forms of discrimination in Lithuania, especially keenly felt in labour market.

Although it is necessary to prioritize youth employment, it is no less important to ensure that greater attention and assistance to one group does not turn into discrimination of other groups.

CONCLUSIONS It is vital to ensure that legal regulations do not

discriminate against people based on their age – in cases of different treatment based on age, it is necessary for the disparity to be justified by a legitimate aim, and to also demonstrate that the means of achieving that aim are necessary.

In order to reduce the stigma of old age in Lithuania, it is vital to promote the involvement of older people in decision-making, granting them a real ability to participate in the process, and to educate the public about the prohibition of all forms of discrimination