Japanese working well beyond retirement age

Japan’s senior citizens have remained in the workforce well past the legal requirement for retirement, preferring to work until they are physically unable to do so. Although the intentions are not economic or financial, it might just be what the country needs to help to keep its economy afloat in the face of a rapidly ageing population with low birth rates.

Some Japanese have continued to work in jobs ranging from market stalls to tea shops and even to legal practice even beyond the age of 70. On average, Japanese men work until they are 69, whereas women retire at an average age of 67. In contrast, men and women from countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which includes the U.S., the United Kingdom, and France, retire at an average of 63-64 years of age. While some do indeed keep on working to help alleviate the economic situation, many of these ageing Japanese workers simply prefer the active, working lifestyle that many of them grew up with after World War II, where it was the sheer effort of the people who rocketed the country’s economy to the top in just under two decades.

France and Greece recently raised their legal retirement age to 62 and 67, respectively, and was met strong opposition from their citizens. In contrast, the Japanese government passed a law in August to raise the retirement age and delay payment of pensions until 65 years of age without much fanfare. For a society that has grown up around the importance of labor, the Japanese elderly continue to find meaning and relevance in their work.

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