As Taiwan is soon set to become a super-aged society, more older people should return to the workforce to make up for labor shortages, and the government should offer incentives to encourage young people to marry, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday.
Ko was speaking at an employment fair for middle-aged and elderly people, held by the Taipei City Department of Labor at the Taipei Flora Expo Park.
People aged 65 or older only accounted for about 7 percent of the population in 1993, but are expected to make up about 20 percent by 2025, when Taiwan would become a super-aged society, he said.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The aging of a society is not a problem, it is the rapid aging that is the issue, Ko said, adding that unless Taiwan allows more immigrants to relocate here, or encourages young people to get married and have children, the nation would face a labor shortage as people age out of the workforce.
Although more than 30 percent of Japan’s elderly population is still working, only about 8 percent of Taiwan’s is, with less than 6 percent of older people making up the labor pool in Taipei, he said.
“I encourage everyone to erase the idea of retiring from work at the age of 65 from your mind, because if you do not work, there will be labor shortages in this nation,” Ko said.
Photo: Yang Chin-cheng, Taipei Times
“The average life expectancy in Taiwan is more than 84 years, so if people retire at the age of 65 years, they will still have about 20 years to live,” he said. “How can the nation support you for 20 years, with you not working?”
The Taipei City Government has subsidized companies that offer development courses aimed at teaching middle-aged and older people skills to help them return to the workforce, he said.
A city government study on population policies showed that the main problem leading to Taiwan’s declining birthrate is not the unwillingness of young people to have children, but that they are “not getting married,” Ko said.
The fertility rate among married couples has not significantly declined, but the percentage of single people has increased, so as local governments consider “baby bonuses” to encourage childbirth, they should start with offering incentives to encourage young people to marry, he said.
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