The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently decided that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act exclusively covers current employees, meaning that it does not apply to individuals who are seeking work, externally. The ADEA is meant to protect workers over the age of 40 from age-based discrimination. Currently, people are living longer and are participating in the labor market beyond the usual age of retirement. However, the court’s decision reduces the size of the population that is eligible for protection under the act.
See "Older Job Applicants Not Protected By Age Bias Law, Says US Appeals Court", Ruth Umoh, Forbes, January 28, 2019