Is the UK tech industry ageist?

The majority of UK tech workers think their industry is ageist and firmly believe if you're aged over 40 getting an IT job is an uphill struggle.

Just over half (52 per cent) of respondents to the exclusive silicon.com 2008 Skills Survey agreed or strongly agreed the IT industry is ageist - compared to just a fifth who held the opposite view.

Asked specifically whether employers are happy to recruite staff aged over 40, almost half of the respondents disagreed - or strongly disagreed - that this was the case. Less than a third (29 per cent) held the opposite view.

Back in October 2006, the UK government passed anti-ageism legislation making it illegal for companies to discriminate against individuals based on their age during the hiring process or when considering promotion or providing on-the-job training.

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However more than two years on, the survey reveals there is widespread disagreement as to whether the anti-ageism legislation has made job-hunting any easier for older IT workers.

The largest proportion of respondents - 52 per cent - said they did not know if the legislation has made it better for older workers. Almost a third (31 per cent) disagreed or strongly disagreed that the legislation has had an positive impact - and only less than a fifth (17 per cent) saying things have got better for 40+ techies.

Recent research conducted by the Prince's Initiative for Mature Enterprise, a charity which helps the over-50s set up in business themselves, found the vast majority (81 per cent) of people in that age group believe their age puts them at an automatic disadvantage in the world of work, compared to younger rivals.

The silicon.com 2008 Skills Survey results are based on responses from 711 individuals, most of whom reside in the UK.