More Japanese continue to work after the age of 65

Japan has the largest proportion of residents aged 65 and up in its population, with 25.1% continuing to work.
By: | September 21, 2022
Topics: Employee Experience | Japan | News

An increasing number of Japanese are still working after they turn 65, due to financial concerns or a desire for something meaningful to do, revealed a survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

The survey found that 25.1% of those aged 65 or older are continuing to work, and the proportion increases to 50.3% if the age bracket is limited to those aged 65 to 69 years old, reports The Asahi Shimbun.

Japan’s share of citizens aged 65 or older among its population is the highest in the world, followed by Italy, at 24.1%, and Finland, at 23.3%.

To help meet the workforce shortage triggered by the country’s declining birth rate, the Japanese government has been encouraging older adults to remain in the workforce.

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By 2040, those aged 65 or older will comprise 35.3% of Japan’s total population, according to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research.

Last year, a record 9.09 million workers were 65 years or older, continuing an increase of 18 consecutive years. Over the same period, some 3.93 million people, or 75.9% of workers worked under a non-regular status, a category that includes part-time workers, according to the Labour Force Survey.