"Jobless" expansion favors older workers.

• Position: Employment

In the battle for jobs during this jobless expansion, workplace veterans over 50 have caught up to and may soon surpass their younger rivals when it comes to finding new positions in the shortest amount of time. The median search time for unemployed executive-level staffers 50 and older has dropped 10 times faster than that of younger job seekers.

The rate at which older workers' search times are failing is indicative of a major shift in workplace attitudes about age and may in fact signal an end to age bias in hiring of older workers, declares John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of the international outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., Chicago, Ill.

"The economy is still weak, but companies are slowly beginning to add [staff]. However, they only want those who can begin contributing without costly training and disruption to customer service. Such an environment heavily favors experienced managers and executives," Challenger feels.

"Older workers are highly regarded right now for several reasons. Employers see them as valuable assets in the struggling economy because their experience and skills...