The regulation of aged workers: Lessons from Japan

Japan is one of the world’s oldest countries and globally has the most aged workers. Culture, finances, economics and law all support a high number of people aged over 60 years working in Japan. Regulation plays an importing role in creating employment for aged workers in Japan and the government utilises a number of different laws to achieve its policy aim of people working into their 60s and 70s. But legislation is part of a broader regulatory system for aged workers that includes culture, informal regulation and normative practice. This article will explore how these forms of regulation interact and influence one another in order to determine what lessons can be learned for government, statutory authorities, employers, industry associations, unions and most importantly aged workers. These lessons apply to Japan and other countries with ageing populations.