数字时代下算法就业年龄歧视问题研究

Research on Algorithmic Age Discrimination in Employment in the Digital Era

摘要: 数字时代背景下，算法技术已经与生活中各方各面紧密联系。而在劳动法领域中，由此引发了许多亟需探讨的社会难题，在算法技术下所形成的就业年龄歧视问题便是其中之一。例如，在算法介入招聘时，雇主通过算法技术收集员工过往数据，对员工行为进行指定目标的预测，并根据预测的结果进行第筛选。在这一过程中，与传统的就业年龄歧视不同，雇主个人的好恶被运行的算法所掩盖，使得就业年龄歧视的问题变得隐蔽，甚至于连受到年龄歧视的劳动者个人都难以察觉，反而可能会内化为自我歧视。具体可将算法技术下产生就业年龄歧视的过程分为三步，一是数据输入环节，在算法采集社会数据的过程中，有极大可能采集到蕴含有传统就业年龄歧视问题的社会数据，导致就业年龄歧视问题在基础数据上便生根发芽；二是数据分析环节，即使在数据输入过程中，算法规避了基础数据上的污染，也有可能在分析环节上因为技术手段的问题导致就业年龄歧视问题出现；三是数据输出环节，主要表现为各大网络就业平台对高龄就业者的不友好与就业歧视。为了解决算法技术应用下对高龄就业者的歧视问题，从立法上应当吸收域外经验，出台专门的《就业年龄歧视法》，促使算法技术运作进一步透明化并提高其可解释性，从而切实保护高龄就业者的平等就业权，在促使其实现个人价值的同时，也满足积极应对老龄化、充分利用老年人力资源的社会需求。

Abstract: In the context of the digital age, algorithm technology has become closely linked to various aspects of life. In the field of labor law, this has triggered many urgent social problems that need to be explored, and the issue of age discrimination in employment formed under algorithmic technology is one of them. For example, when algorithms are involved in recruitment, employers use algorithmic techniques to collect past data from employees, predict employee behavior with specified goals, and screen based on the predicted results. In this process, unlike traditional age discrimination in employment, the personal preferences of employers are masked by the running algorithms, making the problem of age discrimination in employment hidden, and even difficult for individual workers who are subject to age discrimination to detect. Instead, it may be internalized as self discrimination. The process of generating employment age discrimination under algorithmic technology can be divided into three steps. Firstly, in the data input stage, during the algorithm’s collection of social data, there is a high possibility of collecting social data that contains traditional employment age discrimination issues, leading to the problem of employment age discrimination taking root and sprouting on the basis of basic data; The second is the data analysis stage. Even if the algorithm avoids contamination on the basic data during the data input process, there is still a possibility of age discrimination in employment due to technical means in the analysis stage; The third is the data output stage, mainly manifested as unfriendly and employment discrimination towards elderly workers by major online employment platforms. In order to address the issue of discrimination against elderly employees in the application of algorithm technology, legislation should draw on foreign experience and introduce a special “Age Discrimination in Employment Law” to promote further transparency and interpretability of algorithm technology operation, thereby effectively protecting the equal employment rights of elderly employees. While promoting their personal value, it also meets the social needs of actively responding to aging and fully utilizing elderly human resources.