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Finding a job extra difficult for older workers

The recession has been particularly hard on older workers, and many suspect age discrimination.

Among them is Larry Wilson, a 57-year-old resident of St. Charles County. He told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he long ago stopped counting the number of rejected employment applications and is resigned to the fact he may never find a full-time job again.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that unemployed job-seekers over 55 typically wait 56 weeks to find a job, far more than the 38-week average for the rest of the unemployed population.

AARP President Robert Romasco says discrimination is hard to prove, but many job-seekers in their 50s and older believe it exists.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.