The pressure on Japanese elderly to defy age
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Declining Japanese population puts greater pressure on the elderly to stay in work
Japan is notorious for being a country on the cutting edge of technological growth, tuned in to the future with its eye on progress.
How ironic it is, then, that increasing longevity and a decreasing birth rate amongst Japanese citizens have instigated a growing labour shortage – plunging the country into a state whereby it must prioritise interests of the “elderly” over those of the young.
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In this part of the world where the population is declining, older people have become the target for raising profits; their needs must be met in retail outlets. They are seen as a pivotal – if not the only – factor in the survival of the country’s workforce.
Although there is a welcome space for new developments in the use of robots, designed to carry out the function of taking care of the elderly in their homes, a greater call resounds for human labour in the form of the over 65’s.
For the Japanese, recovery from this predicament is not just a matter of requiring employees to remain in work for longer – although increasing the age of retirement is a major strategy in boosting the economy and reducing unemployment.
There has been a restructuring of the job market, with a continuing trend (or pressure) for employers to retain older workers and utilise them in public facing roles. Potentially this will draw in custom from their fellows of a similar age.
Fast food and magazines are now less profitable than “services” offered to seniors.
Today’s Japan has been described as a country where the colour grey is visible everywhere. It is a blurry visage of the elderly as a vital force in the country; based in supermarkets, driving cabs and working in banks. Many of the most prominent individuals are over seventy.
Giving up work is not considered to be as healthy as previously thought. As such, it is not an altogether negative picture for some citizens, who enjoy remaining active.
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What stands out glaringly however is that – in Japan – retirement is less a choice, more an inability of the body to conform to the demands of the day.
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