Japan: Small Employers Lead Way in Allowing Workers Past 65 To Keep Working

Japan's Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has released information showing that the proportion of companies where every employee can work until age 65 or beyond if they so wish rose to a record 48.8% in 2012, up 0.9% from 2011. However, this growth continues to be led by smaller employers. Only 24.3% of companies with 301 employees or more are allowing workers aged 65 or above to continue working, only a 0.5% from 2011.

Looking at the workers themselves, the Ministry's survey shows that 73.6% of 430,036 workers who reached retirement age in the past year were rehired, while only 1.6% of those hoping to be re-employed were not; 24.8% opted to retire.

In the Japan Times article on the report, it is noted:

Large firms will have to promptly take all necessary steps since revised legislation enacted earlier this year obliges them to let their employees continue working up to 65 years of age or older. The law was revised in view of planned changes to the public pension system, which will see the state pension eligibility age gradually raised from 60 to 65, beginning next April.

Sources: Japan Times "Record 49% of Japanese companies are letting seniors work beyond 65" (October 20, 2012); Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry Press Release (Japanese) (October 18, 2012);