Soon, over half the workers in the U.S. will be over the age of 40. Given the growing number of older workers and the tight labor market, it’s hard to imagine that older job seekers would face age-related discrimination when looking for work. But age discrimination in hiring is pervasive, according to Steven Greenberg, founder and CEO of Jobs 4.0, the first job board specifically designed to connect 40 plus job seekers and work opportunities. Greenberg hopes to raise awareness about the problem through the survey and direct older job seekers toward the best age-neutral employers.

“We’re trying to call attention to the issue of the aging workforce, so older workers don’t have to suffer in silence,” says Greenberg. “Companies that are doing a good job in this area will love this survey. Hopefully, those companies that aren’t creating a diverse employment environment will take a look at their responses to the survey questions, and be motivated to do something about it.”

The survey was distributed to more than 10,000 HR professionals across the U.S. Contact Jobs4.0 to request a survey application. Applications will be reviewed by the Cannon Survey Center at UNLV to determine the award winners. The survey results will be released in February 2008.