▁an ▁individual ▁based ▁on ▁s tere ot ypes ▁of ▁a ▁group ▁to ▁which ▁the ▁person ▁belongs . ▁Limited ▁employ ment ▁opportun ities ▁could ▁come ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁lower ▁pay ▁for ▁equal ▁work ▁or ▁jobs ▁with ▁little ▁social ▁mob ility . ▁Young er ▁female ▁workers ▁were ▁histor ically ▁disc rimin ated ▁against , ▁in ▁comparison ▁with ▁younger ▁men , ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁expected ▁that , ▁as ▁young ▁women ▁of ▁child b ear ing ▁years , ▁they ▁would ▁need ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁work force ▁perman ently ▁or ▁period ically ▁to ▁have ▁children . ▁However , ▁mid life ▁female ▁workers ▁may ▁also ▁experience ▁disc rim ination ▁based ▁on ▁their ▁appearance ▁and ▁may ▁feel ▁less ▁visible ▁and ▁under valu ed ▁in ▁a ▁culture ▁where ▁emphas is ▁is ▁on ▁maintain ing ▁an ▁approved ▁standard ▁of ▁beauty , ▁e . g . ▁' th in , ▁pretty , ▁White , ▁and ▁young '. ▁However , ▁the ▁same ▁standard ▁could ▁have ▁no ▁effect ▁on ▁male ▁colle agues ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁age . ▁▁ ▁Labor ▁reg ulations ▁also ▁limit ▁the ▁age ▁at ▁which ▁people ▁are ▁allowed ▁to ▁work ▁and ▁how ▁many ▁hours ▁and ▁under ▁what ▁conditions ▁they ▁may ▁work . ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁a ▁person ▁must ▁generally ▁be ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 4 ▁years ▁old ▁to ▁seek ▁a ▁job , ▁and ▁workers ▁face ▁additional ▁restrictions ▁on ▁their ▁work ▁activities ▁until ▁they ▁reach ▁age ▁ 1 6 . ▁Many ▁companies ▁refuse ▁to ▁h ire ▁workers ▁younger ▁than ▁ 1 8 . ▁While ▁older ▁workers ▁benefit ▁more ▁often ▁from ▁higher