Taiwan statistics show record highs for employment in old age
Taiwan statistics show record highs for employment in old age
2023-08-30
Older people in Taiwan are now more likely to be employed than not. That’s according to the latest government statistics, which show that more than 66% of 45-to-65-year-olds are currently employed. That figure reflects not just those who stay in work, but also those who have retired and then gone back to work. More and more industries are opening their doors to older employees, especially sectors hit by the post-pandemic labor shortage, such as hospitality.
Dressed in a bright yellow T-shirt, 72-year-old Judy is retired, and she’s off to work in this hotpot restaurant.
She greets her colleagues and changes into her work uniform, emerging from the back with a trolley to sort out the sauces.
Judy
Restaurant group employee
My family was shocked that somebody would hire me! I told the company that I’m 72, and they said they are very welcoming of people starting a second career. I hadn’t worked in the restaurant industry before. So why do I do it? Well, I love eating!
Judy’s rich career history includes a stint working for a bank in Vancouver. Then she went to Hong Kong, where she was private secretary to a company chair. At 65, she retired and moved back to Taiwan to enjoy travel and leisure time in nature. But seven years later, she found herself itching to get back to work.
Judy
Restaurant group employee
The pandemic came along, and after three years, I felt like I’d just been at home all the time. I felt very disconnected from society, so I thought “Why not try going out to work again?”
Working front-of-house is complex and demanding, so Judy chose a more behind-the-scenes role, plating up meals. The Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics says that in March 2023, the proportion of 45-65-year-olds in work surpassed two thirds for the first time. It’s no longer a rarity.
In this fast food store, customers are greeted cordially by 70-year-old Grandma Tsai.
Ten percent of Macdonald’s employees are now over 60. In the last five years, the number of older employees at Muji grew fivefold. Meanwhile, this August, the number of older employees at Wow Prime was twice as many as 12 months ago.
Lin Yu-li
Restaurant group HR development manager
On Aug. 1, we had 406 middle- and old-aged partners working in onsite operations. Compared to the same date last year, it’s more than 100% growth.
Returning to employment in one’s golden years is a growing trend. For many workers, it’s proof that ageist assumptions are meaningless, while for employers, it can be a solution to labor shortages.
72歲高年級實習生! 餐飲業招募"阿嬤級"員工
2023-08-30
面對缺工困境，不少餐飲業者積極拓展中高齡員工，像是有火鍋店，最近來了一名72歲的阿嬤級生力軍，曾經在國外擔任銀行行員，也在香港擔任董座秘書，資歷相當豐富，她表示退休後不想與社會脫軌，鼓起勇氣面試內場服務員，讓家人朋友都很驚訝。
身穿黃色上衣，今年72歲Judy退而不休，準備要去火鍋店上班。
與夥伴們打招呼，Judy換下便服戴上帽子、套上制服，搖身一變成為服務員，推著餐車整理醬料。
[[餐飲集團員工 Judy]]
“他們(家人)都很驚訝，有人會請我，我也特別跟他們(集團)講說，我已經72歲，他們(集團)說二度就業的，他們非常歡迎，因為我以前沒有做過餐飲業的，為什麼會做呢，是因為我自己本身也喜歡吃”
Judy的職業生涯裡，曾在溫哥華擔任銀行行員，後來到香港擔任董座秘書，65歲退休回台灣遊山玩水，但七年之後，興起重返職場的念頭。
[[餐飲集團員工 Judy ]]
“碰到疫情，三年下來，就覺得一直都在家裡面，就覺得好像跟社會很脫節的感覺，所以我就想說，要不就試試看再出來工作”
相較外場工作繁雜，Judy選擇內場負責擺盤，根據主計總處統計，今年3月中高齡者勞參率首次突破66%，中高齡員工已經不再稀奇。
來到速食店，70歲的蔡阿嬤細心替顧客服務，在麥當勞已經有一成員工，年齡超過60歲，無印良品五年來銀髮族員工成長5倍，王品集團截至八月，中高齡的員工已經是去年同期的兩倍。
[[餐飲集團人資發展部襄理 林祐立]]
“八月一號的統計來說的話，我們現場營運的中高齡的夥伴的話，已經來到了406位，那相對應於去年同期的話，已經是超過一倍的一個成長的一個趨勢”
壯世代返回職場，翻轉高齡族群標籤，也填補人力缺口，創造雙贏。
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