Japan’s elderly job agencies see record fall in registrations

The number of elderly jobseekers registered with public entities offering easy jobs for people aged 60 or older has fallen to a record low, dropping below 700,000 for the first time in 19 years, according to The Japan News. 

Amid a surge in hiring, senior citizens are now looking for higher wages in the roles they take up. Commonly, the roles offered by the public facilities involve short hours, and include tasks like weeding and cleaning that bring in an average monthly pay of less than ¥40,000 (US$362).

The public centres were first established to empower the elderly and revitalise communities through employment, with the national and local governments subsidising part of the operating costs for some 1,300 centres nationwide. 

Altogether, there were about 698,000 members of such centres at the end of fiscal year 2020, comprising 462,000 men and 236,000 women, down 17,000 from the previous year, according to the National Silver Human Resources Centre Association.

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Some centres are trying to increase registrations by asking companies and other organisations to offer more job options, like serving customers at supermarkets, and helping out at nursery schools and care facilities for the elderly.