politics

Gov't plans to raise working age limit to 70

43 Comments

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Na... people can already work after 65 if they want to.

The government on the other hand cannot afford to pay pensions anymore, that’s all.

16 ( +16 / -0 )

Why don't they reduce the age at which children can start work to 12 as well?

13 ( +13 / -0 )

I think working to 65 is bad enough but 70! Where is quality of life here? Those that have worked all their years are entitled to look forward to retirement at an age when they can enjoy it.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

It's hard enough getting work nearing 50, let alone after 65 !!!!

10 ( +10 / -0 )

The government plans to maintain the principle of awarding public pensions from age 65, although it aims to give people a new choice of starting to receive the money after age 70.

This part is especially suspect. So, here is something closer to the truth.

Dear All,

We don't have any money to pay pensions. Well, actually, to tell the truth, we are drowning in debt so would you kindly please keep working until you die. You know - it's just kind of like sabisuzankyo. We'd like to give you something after 70 but don't take our word on that.

Sincerely,

Abe & co

9 ( +9 / -0 )

oh dear!

I can see more and more people falling down in the summer heat and off platforms.

Japan is going down the slippery slope.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Slippery slope. They are taking steps towards raising pension eligibility age to 70. This is in effect a tax on the poor, as they have a shorter lifespan than the rich so will recoup less (if any) of their pension contributions than the more well-off.

One American political party has made a similar proposal. I'll leave it up to you to guess which.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

I hope that includes all politicians, government workers, bankers, and CEO's , or does this pension saving idea only relate to blue collar workers.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

so what about people who are in the manual labor fields? How many construction workers can work past 60 if that:-/

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Geez, what I'm reading right now.

Not to insult, but at this rate these poor soul will never see their pension after working WHOLE LIFE for society...a whole life wasted just to see this kind of goal?

I can imagine the elderly's reactions.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Why stop there!? Let’s make it 100, there are plenty of jobs out there right:-/

6 ( +7 / -1 )

The chances are that after 60 workers will be slipping down the career ladder. People tend to reach their peak in their late 40s to early 50s in white collar jobs and do not earn much more afterwards.

Once people are in their 60s they tend to be slowing down and are not as sharp as they once were and often do not want to be at work any more.

Saying that, my father in law is working in his 70s and loves it, but he has his own business.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

The government has mismanaged the pension system and the economy so badly that the small window of living a relaxed life has all but shut with this. Might be the 3rd biggest economy in the world but quality of life and getting anything like a liveable wage well below anything like third in the world.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Why don't they reduce the age at which children can start work to 12 as well?

Ole Seadog, you are too liberal! I say work them when they are seven. Worked (pun intended) in America in the roaring Republican 1920s, and I am SURE many conservative posters here would support that idea!

6 ( +6 / -0 )

This is a very difficult situation as not all people in all jobs are able to work past 65. If they need to stop work because of deterioration at 65 and they cannot find another job and access pension for 5 years that is very bad.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Cos the money printing press will be worn out soon

5 ( +5 / -0 )

why stop there!? Let’s make it 100, there are plenty of jobs out there right:-/

Ole bones, I raise you 20 and say 120 years old. Do I hear anyone for 140? Ah, Serrano bids for a 140 year old mandate for pensions, how about 160?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Has anyone noticed a common thread here? The GOVERNMENT or some arbitrary Board decides when YOU should retire. In the USA, a person decides for themselves when to retire. Make that the situation here instead of imposing arbitrary limits. They are artibrary because each person is different. I am a university instructor, a profession that ages well. Older instructors bring a wealth of knowleged about how to teach. To cut them off at a random age limits is insulting and unrealistic.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Man. how I WISH JT had what Facebook provides... an EDIT function. d

knowleged = knowledge

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Where is quality of life here?

Where was it ever?

I lol'd at the 'let's lower the working age' comment! Spot on!

4 ( +4 / -0 )

But so many politicians will still work well into their 80s...

"Work"

That's funny.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

For those in ther 40s and 50s who still have the actual ability to read the signs of the times, know ( and care! ) what’s coming, and recognize the dire need and importance of innovation and reform this will be particularly disheartening. Being made to wait another five years for the old guard, who by nature resist changes they don’t understand , to retire may be the final straw that broke the camels back. Just hope personally I’ll be able to realize my own inevitable limitations as I get older, and have the sense and the means to know when to step aside.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Ole bones, I raise you 20 and say 120 years old. Do I hear anyone for 140? Ah, Serrano bids for a 140 year old mandate for pensions, how about 160?

@TheRat

With the “wonderful health care system “ and “top notch working conditions “ let’s make it an even 200 and you can retire when you are dead!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

facilitating employment of seniors by providing subsidies and setting up special councils of municipalities and firms.

Paying people to look busy

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Politicians in there 80s are the problem, they can't imagin life without their title. Had they retired at an age where they experience personal growth, life for all of us would benifit.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

 And also he always run around us without any lead protection while we x-rayed.

Well, let's be honest... the man's 84, he's probably not too worried about the long term effects of x-rays on either his fertility or his risk of cancer in 20 years or so.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

oh dear lord, japan.

what are these 70 year olds going to do exactly?

most of the current generation of 45+ year olds can't even use computers. Japan already has the lowest PC and technology literacy rate of all developed nations in the world.

just how are these people going to be useful in a global economy that is going to rely on technology for nearly everything within 15 years? what are these senior citizens going to contribute?

the government should be finding ways to reduce the retirement age and encourage tech literacy on a national scale.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Pension limit is raising to 67 yrs in Germany. But you can also work with 80+ if you want. We had last year an 84 year old retiered MD of Critical care medicine and anesthesia as contractor in our hospital. The anesthesia was o.k. but the reanimation in the nigth in my cath-labor was terrible. Bad ears and bad eyes. And also he always run around us without any lead protection while we x-rayed.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

These neoconservative punks of Abe & co will work oyajis to their death

And they say Japanese people respect their elders

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I actually wrote a paper a while back about land reform. I proposed that if every family were given half a hectare of land (little over an acre) that could be traded, but not bought or sold, and exempt from any sort of property or land tax, then we could actually get rid of govt social welfare entirely. A quarter of land could be used for building ones home, a quarter (or less) for business (that section could be used in shared office space for your share of partnership), and half could be for farming (if you're unemployed or not a partner in a business, you could still feed your family). If your business died or you quit the partnership, your share of land is still yours. Grandparents in separate home on property or just separate suite could watch children, older children and adults could take care of older grandparents (day care and senior care negated). As no fear of being removed from land, one could retire with no pension anytime, yet still not feel impoverished.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

(Contd)

That hectare of land could be in city tower building, even with half dedicated to farming (we can do that indoors and with artificial light now). Even without that, there is enough hectares in Japan for every family (though maybe not nuclear families).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How much cheaper the on national budget will it be to push retirement 5 years ahead

?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In comparison, the full retirement age in US is 67 but encourages you to work till 70 by raising amount you can receive if you do so. You can start receiving benefit from the age of 62 but with lower amount of benefit.

Japan has the highest life expectancy in the world, exceeding far above US's. I have always argued that 65 is too low for Japan considering its life expectancy. 70 is about right.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

But so many politicians will still work well into their 80s...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The focus should be on retirement age being 45, if the government is so inept OK make it 90. Being even slightly progressive would surly be a bench mark of early retirement rather than an extended one?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

juminRhee

It sounds like a dream but neither politicians nor bankers and big corporations will ever risk something like this to happen. To feed their greed of money and power, they need theirs slaves: us. We are there to work for them, take credits to buy lots of useless things and work still more and more to pay money back with huge interest. We are supposed to consume poisoned food, breath poisoned air, got shoot in the streets like dogs, sell our houses and cars to pay hospital bills (welcome in the US), vote to have our countries "big again" and especially shut up. Here comes the great western "civilisation". Though of course we are so much better than people in Africa or other underdeveloped countries with real problems. Impossible to compare our (after all) easy and lazy lives with their misery. But I feel sorry for all those old people pushed to work longer and longer. Japanese elderly especially, who worked so hard, with such dedication and modesty and will not be able to enjoy few peacuful and happy years.... Too sad.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

That's too bad. They'll only have a decade or so of life left without a corporation. Pretty sad

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Well that just means more young people will be out of work because we all know Japanese old people control all the money and they like to be with their tribe. Most old Japansters want nothing to do with the younger generation.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Has anyone noticed a common thread here? The GOVERNMENT or some arbitrary Board decides when YOU should retire. In the USA, a person decides for themselves when to retire.

Incorrect. You must be at least 62 to collect your government pension, albeit at a less-than-100% rate. To collect the full 100%, most folks must work until approx 67. Working until a later age can raise the benefit even further.

Of course, you can retire at any time in the US, as you can in Japan. You just won't be eligible for Social Security benefits before 62. (or 59.5yo to withdraw from 401k without tax penalty.) It is similar in Japan. Retire when you want. You just won't be eligible for retirement benefits before a certain age. (At least you can get gov't-sponsored health insurance at any age, unlike the US.)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

mr. abe why not raise the max income for dependant workers like housewife since every thing went high already but our income was left behind untouch . you keep on looking for foreign workers but there are already many workers already here but the problem is you forget about us

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Patricia:

In the US, you must still be 65 or older to get pension. The military was 20 years, then 50% of base pay (without housing or food allowances) or 30 years, then 75% of base pay - they are now transitioning to a 401k style plan (this was the best perk in the military along with GI Bill, expect enlistment to fall). 

I think retirement (with pension) should be based on number of years you worked (lets say 30 for regular work and 20-25 for manual labour). If you start at age 15, get work as factory cog, you should retire age 35-40; if you start at age 22, get work as bank clerk, you should retire age 52.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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