South Korean media have highlighted how Japanese companies are employing older workers, detailing systems that extend the retirement age to 65 and allow employees to continue working. Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd. and Calbee, Inc. are among the companies introducing or establishing such systems.
South Korean media reported that Japanese companies are increasingly making use of senior talent to address labor shortages, and that under Japan’s legal framework, moves to extend the retirement age to 65 are spreading. The reports highlighted that, from next year onward, multiple companies are introducing or considering systems allowing employees who meet certain conditions to continue working as regular employees.
Specific examples included Shionogi & Co., Ltd.’s extension of the retirement age to 65 and conditional continuation of regular employment; Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd., where the retirement age is 65 but employees may work until 67 at their request; and Calbee, Inc., which established Senior Meister positions allowing employees to work after the age of 60 on the same terms as before retirement. The reports described in detail how companies are making use of senior talent.
The reports also said that Cainz introduced a system extending the retirement age from 60 to 65 while maintaining the salary structure for employees aged 60 and above, and that Hitachi, Ltd. plans not to reduce the salaries of rehired senior employees when they take on the duties they performed during their active careers. The reports provided specific details on Japan’s retirement-age systems and how they operate.
The article analyzed the growing importance of senior talent in Japan’s labor market and pointed out that personnel systems determining employment terms based on duties and performance rather than age affect companies’ competitiveness. Meanwhile, many comments have appeared online in South Korea comparing conditions in the two countries.