POJA Act Explicitly Bans Age Discrimination for Job Applicants, Mandates EEOC Study on Hiring Bias

The Protect Older Job Applicants Act of 2025, or POJA Act, is straightforward: it closes a potential gap in the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) by making it absolutely clear that employers cannot discriminate against job applicants based on age. Before this, the ADEA primarily focused on protecting current employees. This bill amends Section 4(a)(2) of the ADEA to explicitly include "or applicants for employment," ensuring that employers can’t legally limit, segregate, or classify you differently just because of your age when you are trying to get hired.

Leveling the Hiring Playing Field

This change is significant because it gives job seekers a clearer legal footing. If you are 55 and applying for a job, and the company’s hiring software or HR policy seems to screen you out based on age—say, by only interviewing candidates who graduated in the last 10 years—this bill makes that action explicitly illegal. The law already prevented employers from discriminating against a 55-year-old employee; now, the same protection applies the moment that person submits an application. For employers, this means a clean sweep of hiring practices is necessary to ensure age is not a factor in any stage of recruitment, from the initial application to the final interview.

Shining a Light on Hiring Bias

Beyond strengthening the legal protections, the POJA Act also demands accountability and transparency from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Section 3 requires the EEOC to conduct a comprehensive study within one year of the bill’s enactment. The goal is to count how many age discrimination claims have been filed with the agency since 2015 under the ADEA, covering both open and closed cases.

This isn't just an exercise in counting; it's about getting a clear picture of how often older workers feel they are being unfairly passed over. Once the study is complete, the Chairman of the EEOC must send a detailed report to key Congressional committees and, critically, make the findings public. The report must also include the EEOC’s recommendations for the best strategies to stop and fight age discrimination in the hiring process. This mandated public report will be crucial for advocates and job seekers, providing hard data on the scope of the problem and offering concrete steps for reform.