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Japan is one of the countries with one of the most aging populations. According to the demographic data released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan on September 17, as of September 15, the proportion of people over 65 years old in Japan accounted for 29.1% of the total population, once again setting a new historical record and the highest in the world. Moreover, Japan's elderly population is growing, and it is estimated that by 2060, one in every 2.5 people in Japan will be aged 65 and over. This demographic structure has put tremendous social and economic pressure on Japan, and the country's labor force has been declining.
In order to solve this problem, the Japanese government implemented the revised Law on Employment Stability of the Elderly in April 2021, which stipulates that companies have an obligation to ensure employment opportunities for the elderly. Japanese companies can secure employment opportunities for seniors who wish to work until the age of 70 by raising or abolishing the retirement age and rehiring. According to the regulations, as an employer, the company must ensure the re-employment of those employees who would otherwise retire at the age of 65. Employees who have reached the age of 65 can voluntarily stay in their original company, or they can choose to work in other companies for another 5 years until they retire after the age of 70.
According to a comprehensive report by the Global Times, as more and more companies introduce systems such as delayed retirement and continued employment, Japanese companies that allow employees to work until the age of 70 according to their will have accounted for 29.7% of all enterprises, an increase of 1.8 percentage points compared with the previous year. According to the results of the 2023 survey on the employment status of the elderly released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on the 22nd, 23.5% of Japanese companies have introduced a continuous employment system, 3.9% of companies have chosen to abolish the retirement system, and 2.3% of companies have chosen to raise the retirement age. These initiatives have secured employment opportunities for seniors who wish to work up to the age of 70.
According to the survey, there are about 2.62 million employees in Japan between the ages of 60 and 64, about 1.3 million employees between the ages of 65 and 69, and about 930,000 employees between the ages of 70 and over. In 2022, the number of elderly people in Japan was 9.12 million, increasing for 19 consecutive years. The employment rate for those aged 65 to 69 was 50.8 per cent, and for those aged 70 to 74, it was 33.5 per cent. Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said that in the context of labor shortages, more and more elderly people will be employed in the future.
According to the World Bank, the global aging problem is becoming increasingly severe and growing rapidly, especially in Japan, Italy, Germany and other countries.In 1960, the proportion of people aged 65 and over in the world was only 4.97%, but by 2000, this proportion had risen to 6.89%, an increase of only 1.92% in 40 years. However, in the 21st century, by 2019, the proportion of the global population aged 65 and over has reached 9% of the total population, and it has "aged" by 2.11% in just 19 years.
In Asia, Japan has one of the world's most aging populations. By the end of 2017, there were about 35 million people over the age of 65 in Japan, accounting for about 27.05% of the total population. Compared to 2000, the proportion of people over 65 years old in Japan has increased by 10.07 percentage points.
Liang Jianzhang, a demographic expert and founder of Ctrip China, pointed out that in his book "Population Strategy", he provides an in-depth analysis of the negative impact of Japan's aging population on innovation and firms. Japan's long-term low fertility rate has led to a deterioration in population size and aging, and a lack of entrepreneurial and innovative vitality has led to Japan's loss to the United States and other emerging countries in the competition for high-tech innovation. The impact of aging on society is self-reinforcing, as relatively large older people occupy senior management positions in companies, and younger people are less promoted and have less entrepreneurial vitality. As a result, not only is the innovation vitality of large Japanese companies declining, but there is also a lack of new startups. In addition, with the increase in the burden of old-age care, the Japanese government's support for maternity benefits is far less than that of developed countries such as Northern Europe. Young people's incomes have almost stagnated, the pressure to raise children has increased, and the willingness to have children has been sluggish, and they have fallen into a long-term low fertility trap.
Liang Jianzhang also believes that with the aging of the population, more and more social resources and attention are invested in the elderly. However, when older people have more wealth and power than younger people, both the government and society as a whole become more conservative. The marginalization of young people also has a negative impact on marriage and fertility rates. Japanese scholars believe that the deterioration of the economic environment and the decline in income are important reasons why many people are unwilling or unable to get married, especially the decline in men's income will lead to many men being unable to get married.
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