Employment ageism affecting workers over 45: IDQ report finds

A woman works at a desk. (Ketut Subiyanto/pexels.com)

For experienced workers, ageism is a greater risk to their careers than technological change, according to a report published Wednesday by the Institut du Québec (IDQ).

The institute finds that age-based prejudice can affect some professionals as young as 45.

“It seems a little crazy, 45, because it’s very young,” IDQ President and CEO Emna Braham said. “In certain sectors, we see that it’s something that does start to appear for people in their mid-40s.”

This can pose a risk for mid-career professionals at a time when the work field is set to be transformed by artificial intelligence (AI) and robotization.

Several studies, according to the IDQ’s report, have shown that employers believe that workers aged 45 and over may have difficulty adapting to new technologies and acquiring new skills.

This prejudice could be seen as ironic, it adds, given that artificial intelligence is intended to simplify tasks.

“New technologies, particularly AI, are fairly user-friendly and require fewer and fewer highly advanced digital skills,” the report notes.

In Quebec, people aged 45 and over are not likely to be in jobs at risk of automation, adds the report.

They occupy 24 per cent of at-risk jobs, while representing 23 per cent of the workforce.

A necessary workforce

The IDQ paints this picture of workers aged 45 and over at a time when Quebec’s economy could benefit from keeping its workers active for longer.

While retirement is still a long way off at 45, several factors that influence timing can already be in play.

“It’s a decision that is made in relation to what we can do and what we want to do,” summarized Braham.

Health and financial situations each play a role in the decision.

People aged 45-54 are more indebted today than the same age group 20 years ago.

Their median debt was three times higher in 2023 than in 2005, the document points out.

Fifty-five percent of them still have a mortgage to pay off.

In 2005, only 38 per cent of people in this age group were in the same situation.

“This means that we have more financial obligations later in life that may force us or some of us to continue working a little longer,” Braham said.

According to the report, 26 per cent of retirees say that health problems prevented them from extending their working lives.

Challenges for women

Women can face many challenges throughout their careers, which could affect their motivation to stay in the labour market, according to the IDQ.

In fact, 34 per cent of women aged 45 and over say they plan to leave the workforce before the age of 60, compared to 22 per cent of men.

The large proportion of women working in the health and education sectors explains this gap, among other factors, with the retirement age aligned with the terms of public sector pension plans

Work-life balance can also be difficult for women in their 40s and 50s, paired with the trend of having children later.

That means more of them have to care for young children and aging parents while also working.

Women with less education are also more likely to find themselves in precarious situations.

After age 55, 32 per cent of women workers are considered to be holding precarious jobs, compared to 23 per cent of men the same age.

Held back by the glass ceiling, women professionals may also lose their drive earlier if they don’t have opportunities for advancement, according to Braham.

Although they represent 46 per cent of workers aged 45 and over, women occupy only 34 per cent of management positions in this age group.

“There may also be disappointed hopes that make us a little less committed or a little less interested in continuing,” said Braham.

– This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 8, 2025.