TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's working-age population is increasingly aging, yet many companies show reluctance to employ older individuals. This trend is evident in the declining labor force participation rate for those over 55.
Chiu-shu-fen, an elderly employee with managerial-level skills at Muji, expressed her challenges in job hunting, often facing skepticism from potential employers about her qualifications for lower-level, lower-paying jobs.
Data from the National Development Council reveals that in 2022, Taiwan had 16.3 million working-age individuals between 15 and 64 years, with 7.07 million aged 45 to 64. This group constitutes 43.3%, the highest percentage of the working-age population, and is expected to surpass 50% by 2040.
A report on employment trends for middle-aged and elderly individuals by a local job bank identified the top three sectors facing labor shortages: accommodation and catering services, wholesale and retail, and the electronics and information technology industries. Notably, these sectors' recruitment friendliness rate for older workers is below 50%.
Wang An-chieh, a store manager at Wowprime Corp., highlighted the punctuality and strong sense of responsibility of middle-aged and elderly employees, describing them as a vital stabilizing force in the workplace.
As Taiwan approaches becoming a super-aged society by 2025, where one in every five individuals will be over 65, leveraging the senior workforce is seen as a key solution to the labor shortage, despite ongoing concerns over a declining birthrate.
Chi Yu-chen, a Elderly employee with multilingual skills at Wowprime Corp., expressed a hope for a non-discriminatory workplace towards older colleagues.
