In a 3/11/09 WSJ article, Jennifer Levitz and Philip Shishkin reported on an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission release showing that “age-discrimination allegations by employees are at a record high, jumping 29%” from year ending Sept 2007 to year ending Sept. 2008.

To avoid these lawsuits, companies have been adopting a tactic they don’t like, one which unions have long endorsed – layoffs by seniority. Last one hired is the first one fired.

In a 5/19/09 WSJ article, Dana Mattioli reports on this new age discrimination against younger workers, who often have little recourse under the law. Seniority based layoffs are easier to defend against age discrimination allegations.

Younger workers usually cost a company less money and can help their case by losing any “high maintenance attitudes typical of younger workers.” Make yourself more valuable to the company by expressing a willingness to crosstrain in another department.