▁w ages ▁than ▁do ▁younger ▁workers , ▁they ▁face ▁bar riers ▁in ▁prom ot ions ▁and ▁h iring . ▁ ▁Emp loy ers ▁also ▁encou rage ▁early ▁ret irement ▁or ▁lay offs ▁dis pro port ion ately ▁more ▁for ▁older ▁or ▁more ▁experienced ▁workers . ▁ ▁Some ▁political ▁offices ▁have ▁qual ifications ▁that ▁disc rim inate ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁age ▁as ▁a ▁proxy ▁for ▁experience , ▁education , ▁or ▁accum ulated ▁wisdom . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁must ▁be ▁at ▁least ▁ 3 5 ▁years ▁old ; ▁a ▁United ▁States ▁Senator ▁must ▁be ▁at ▁least ▁ 3 0 ; ▁and ▁a ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁member ▁must ▁be ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁federal ▁government ▁restrict s ▁age ▁disc rim ination ▁under ▁the ▁Age ▁Disc rim ination ▁in ▁Emp loyment ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁( A DE A ). ▁That ▁law ▁provides ▁certain ▁employ ment ▁prote ctions ▁to ▁workers ▁who ▁are ▁over ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁forty , ▁who ▁work ▁for ▁an ▁employ er ▁who ▁has ▁twenty ▁or ▁more ▁employees . ▁For ▁protected ▁workers , ▁the ▁A DE A ▁prohib its ▁disc rim ination ▁at ▁all ▁levels ▁of ▁employ ment , ▁from ▁rec ruit ment ▁and ▁h iring , ▁through ▁the ▁employ ment ▁relationship , ▁and ▁through ▁dec isions ▁for ▁lay offs ▁or ▁term ination ▁of ▁the ▁employ ment ▁relationship . ▁An ▁age ▁limit ▁may ▁only ▁be ▁leg ally ▁specified ▁for ▁protected ▁workers ▁in ▁the ▁circumst ance ▁where ▁age ▁has ▁been