Supply‐side effect of non‐standard work options on elderly people employment in Japan

Abstract

Purpose – How to get people working longer and retiring later is a new research topic for contemporary social policy. Flexible work options could be one possibility, but are special shorter‐working‐hours‐for‐elderly workplaces really important in order to increase employment among the 65+ age group? The purpose of this paper is to argue, in the case of Japan, that increased availability of non‐standard work formats would not improve labour force participation among the elderly when it is driven by corporate objectives to reduce labour costs. On the contrary, supply‐driven increase in flexible work formats sends a signal of unfavourable labour market conditions and causes the elderly to stay out of labour.Design/methodology/approach – The paper utilizes the Labour Force Survey, a nationally representative data set showing labour force participation and employment formats across all age groups.Findings – It is true that non‐standard work formats are being progressively more used among elderly workers. Howev...