Posted on 06/08/2007 8:06:54 PM PDT by blam
Japan's elderly are urged to work
By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Tokyo
The elderly should be seen as a resource, the government says
Japan's government says the nation has to work harder to encourage elderly people to remain in the workforce. They need to see them as a resource not a burden - invaluable manpower instead of people who just need support and care.
In a White Paper published on Friday, the government says the transformation to an ageing society is unprecedented.
In 50 years time, more than two-fifths of the population will be over 65, twice the current figure.
Issues such as pensions and care for the elderly are becoming more important for politicians as a result.
At the moment, there are more than three people of working age to support each person over 65. In 2055, that figure will have fallen significantly.
Roughly speaking, there will just be one younger person to support each pensioner.
Employment opportunities
The government plans specific measures to try to ease the hardship caused by such demographic challenges.
These include promoting employment among the elderly and helping people in their 50s to shape post-retirement life plans.
An ageing society can still be a vibrant society, it says.
The growing number of elderly people here means their influence is growing too. A scandal over the payment of state pensions is likely to be one of the most important issues during national elections here next month.
The lack of care provision for elderly people and the growing income gap between them and those still in work are also expected to feature during the campaign.
You’ve gotta admire how Japan refuses to go for the cheap fix of mass immigration. Or any immigration for that matter. They will deal with their aging population as best they can, but they will absolutely, positively stay Japanese.
There’s actually quite a bit of immigration in Japan these days. But there’s very little unskilled immigration compared to the US. Most of the immigrants I knew when I was in Japan were Indians etc... working technology or translating jobs.
But even with that immigration only 1% or so of the Japanese population is foreign.
gaijin!!! :)
;)
What a stupid thing to say. Older people are a resource. Probably a lot longer than you have lived. They have worked all of their lives for a living to put a roof over your ungrateful head and food for your spoiled rotten stomach. Their wisdome alone is much more than you will ever be worth.
How dare they do this to older people. They have earned the time off and should be honored rather than abused and used.
What a stupid thing to say. Older people are a resource. Probably a lot longer than you have lived. They have worked all of their lives for a living to put a roof over your ungrateful head and food for your spoiled rotten stomach. Their wisdome alone is much more than you will ever be worth.A little context helps. Even now most Japanese companies have a "teinen" usually 60 where employees are forced to retire. Think of it as employment "term limits". You can still get a job driving a taxi or working in a 7/11 but you can kiss your white collar office job goodbye.
How dare they do this to older people. They have earned the time off and should be honored rather than abused and used.
Japan needs robots!
Seriously, they are putting a lot of money into this technology. Since necessity is the mother of invention, I wonder what will happen. Better to have HAL than an immigrant who plans to blow up airports.
Maybe we could ship ‘em the mexican illegals in our country to solve their demographic crisis. It would be a win-win!
“These include promoting employment among the elderly’
Good luck with that, if Japan’s age discrimination is anything like America’s.
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