Bonuses for Australian bosses who employ workers over 50 The new scheme is mainly designed to address a prejudice against hiring older workers though it could also alleviate workforce pressures and reduce the Government's pension costs. Rob Love, a 63-year-old who has been looking for work for two years, said he often faced "subtle hints" from employers about his age. "We have a workforce which is, you know, their 20s and 30s and 40s," he told ABC Radio. You feel some resentment towards you as a person. They probably think, 'he should be leaving the workforce and leaving it to a younger person to fill the role'. The inquiry found Australia's mining boom has lured younger mobile workers which in turn has created vacancies and shortages in less physically demanding jobs. "Many employers undervalue the skills and experience of older workers, falsely assuming all older workers want to retire at a certain age or have difficulty learning new skills," it said. The Federal Government said up to 10,000 bonuses will be awarded to employers over the next four years at a cost of $10 million. By 2050, almost a quarter of Australia's population will be aged over 65, up from current levels of 14 per cent. "We still need to deal with a cultural issue in the Australian business community that sometimes looks past the value of older workers," said the Minister for Ageing, Mark Butler. Older workers bring with them extraordinary wisdom and experience. We just need to push through this barrier that some Australian employers still have.