朝活ミニテスト 第33回

Working Longer

In many developed countries, people are living longer and healthier lives, while birth rates remain low. As a result, the number of working-age people supporting each retiree is shrinking, placing heavy pressure on pension systems. Governments have responded by encouraging citizens to remain in the workforce beyond the traditional retirement age. In Japan, for example, a revised law that took effect in 2021 requires companies to make efforts to offer employment opportunities up to the age of seventy, and the proportion of people in their late sixties who continue to work has risen steadily.

Supporters point out that older workers bring valuable experience, reliability, and long-standing customer relationships. Research also suggests that staying active in work may help people maintain cognitive function and avoid social isolation. Nevertheless, the policy faces challenges. Many older employees are rehired on short-term contracts at substantially lower wages, even when their duties remain largely unchanged, which can damage morale and discourage them from sharing their expertise. Younger workers, meanwhile, sometimes worry that if older colleagues stay longer, fewer senior positions will become available to them.

Experts argue that addressing these problems will require more fundamental reforms. In particular, they say companies need to rethink pay systems based on seniority, under which wages rise more or less automatically with age, so that compensation reflects the actual work people perform. Flexible arrangements, such as shorter hours or remote work, could also make it easier for older people to continue working without excessive strain. Such changes might benefit not only older employees but also younger ones, who could be promoted according to ability rather than length of service.