The pandemic, and its attendant economic chaos, have made people in general more hesitant to ask for a raise, but a survey has found that the fear is most pronounced among older workers, according to Bloomberg.

The survey, conducted by job-search site Indeed, found that men and women in multiple age groups are less likely to ask for a raise now than they did before the pandemic, but among workers aged 54 and 65, confidence has seen a steep decline, with 51 percent of such employees saying they felt comfortable, or at least somewhat comfortable, asking for more money, in contrast to 65 percent before the pandemic. Older employees, said Bloomberg, may believe that the current economic environment makes it more likely they will experience ageism in the workplace. Indeed suggested that they are aware that retirement is only a few years away and may not want to rock the boat when the labor market is weak.

Taken out of the context of age, though, men remain significantly more likely to ask for more money than women: 74 percent of men (down from a pre-pandemic 81 percent) and 58 percent of women (down from a pre-pandemic 66 percent) feel at least somewhat comfortable asking for a raise. The gender effect remains even when controlling for industry, which, in turn, holds the potential to severely impact women's long-term earning potential.

The only group that grew more confident in asking for a raise was men aged 30-41, who were 0.6 percent more comfortable doing so than before, likely due to them putting in many extra hours over the course of last year (women in that same age group became 6.2 percent less comfortable).