In Japan, people in their 40s and 50s are increasingly jumping between jobs and are redefining traditional career paths in the process. With attitudes towards work in a constant state of flux, thanks in part to new working norms and wider societal shifts, people's careers are continuing to evolve.
Middle-aged people in Japan are changing jobs at greater rates – contrasting previous evidence that suggests 35 is the highest age at which people decide to change employment. Perceptions of careers are changing with a recalibration of life goals as a result of the pandemic one reason for this shift, along with companies that are short-staffed and looking to fill roles quickly which means they are offering more career opportunities to older workers.
A 2021 white paper from Japan’s Cabinet Office highlights that in 2020 71% of people aged 60 to 64 were in employment, with 50% of people aged 65–69 and 32.5% of those aged 70–74 also in employment - rates that have increased by more than 10 points from a decade ago. Out of the 2020 total labour force of 68.7 million in Japan, 4.2 million were aged 65–69 and 5 million were over 70.
As Japan's population ages, with nearly half of Japanese workers predicted to be aged 50+ by 2035, older people are taking on more prominent roles in the workplace and are shaking up their careers by staying in employment later on in life.
