Despite the introduction of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, 20% of people say ageism has prevented them from getting a job.

Almost two-thirds of the people quizzed in the EFA poll believed the new law has made little or no difference to the way people are recruited, which suggests that businesses are still being perceived as ageist despite having to comply with the requirements of the law.

An EFA spokesman said:

"It just goes to show that a change in the law is merely the first step in a long journey towards tackling endemic social prejudices - as we've seen before with gender and race legislation.

"It's down to us all as individuals to challenge our own ageist beliefs and ensure that particularly at work, we make judgments based on skills and ability rather than age."

The EFA has produced a guide to recruitment and a sample application form for businesses to use to ensure they are complying with the law.