No. 1 in the number of employed people over 60 years old..."Job Pyramid" Upside Down After 40 Years [Anchor Report]

Last month, the number of employed people aged 60 or older was the highest across all ages for the first time.

The distribution of employed people in Korea takes the form of an inverted pyramid in which the number increases as the age increases.

After 40 years, the shape has been completely reversed, so let's take a look at why this change happened.

Statistics Korea's employment statistics for September came out yesterday.

As shown in the figure, the largest number of employed people aged 60 or older are in their 50s, 40s, 30s, under 20s, and it has the form of a complete reverse pyramid.

Until August, the number of employed people in their 50s was the highest, but for the first time last month, those aged 60 or older overtook those in their 50s.

This completely reversed structure is the first in 42 years and 2 months since the relevant statistics were compiled.

This change is due to the impact of the world's fastest-paced low birth rate and aging population.

In the 1980s, the life expectancy of the Korean people was 68 years old and the total fertility rate was 1.74.

Naturally, the population and the number of employed people were concentrated in the younger age group,
As you can see in
, the distribution of employment was also in the form of a pyramid.

At that time, less than half of those in their 50s were employed over the age of 60, and only one-fifth of those in their 20s.

Then, with the development of medical technology, life expectancy increases, and the shape changes from the 2000s when the low birth rate began in earnest.

The number of employed people in their 30s and 40s has changed to the largest number of diamonds.

Since the mid-2010s, when the first baby boomers reached their 60s, the number of people aged 60 and over and the number of employed has soared,
With life expectancy in the 84-year-old range with a total fertility rate of 0.7 for the first time,
has become a complete inverted pyramid form.

Then why don't you let go of your work even when you're old?

Experts analyze that this is the result of anxiety that a small pension cannot prepare for old age with the perception that they will take responsibility for their own retirement without burdening their children.

In May, a survey showed that just over half of the 55- to 79-year-old population received even a little pension such as national pension, personal pension, and housing pension.

The average amount received was only 61% of the minimum cost of living for single-person households, as the average amount was 800,000 won left.

The reality of our society is that the number of employed people is the highest at such an age beyond the retirement age.

Recently, discussions about extending the retirement age are in full swing,

It's time to think about a system that fits the changed employment reality.