"Retirement Is Still Too Early": Soaring Demand for Re-employment Among Middle-aged and Older Adults

Surging Re-employment Demand Among Middle-aged and Older Adults
Most Preferred Job Sector: "Production, Construction, and Manual Labor"

The number of middle-aged and older job seekers looking for jobs closely related to daily life is on the rise.

Middle-aged and older job seekers attending a job fair are filling out job application forms. Photo by Asia Economy DB

As early retirement and the retirement of the second baby boomer generation accelerate, the demand for re-employment among the middle-aged and older population is increasing.

According to data released by the job platform Byeoruk Market on July 31, resumes submitted by those aged 50 and above on its platform from January to June this year increased by 76.7% compared to the same period last year. This figure is more than double the 33.9% increase in resumes from those aged 40 and younger during the same period.

The increase in resumes was steeper in older age groups. For those in their 50s, the number increased by 62.9%, while for those in their 60s it jumped by 104.4%, and for those aged 70 and above, it soared by 152.0%. Notably, among all age and gender groups, women aged 70 and above saw the highest increase, with resumes up by 184.9% year-on-year.

By gender, the increase in resumes from men aged 50 and above was 85.9%, higher than the 64.9% increase seen among women in the same age group.

The demand for re-employment among middle-aged and older adults is increasing. Byeolguk Market

The most preferred job category among middle-aged and older job seekers was 'production·construction·manual labor' (27.6%). This was followed by ▲food service·beverages (18.6%) ▲driving·delivery (15.8%) ▲service (15.4%) ▲store management·sales (7.2%) ▲office work (4.9%).

Looking at specific job types, the largest proportion of respondents preferred production·manufacturing (8.4%), followed by ▲kitchen assistant·dishwashing (6.7%) ▲serving (5.8%) ▲security·guard (4.9%) ▲cleaning·maintenance (4.9%). Next were ▲delivery driver (4.1%) ▲chef·cook (3.9%) ▲store management·sales (3.6%) ▲driving·delivery (3.5%) ▲processing·assembly (3.2%).

There were differences in job preferences between men and women. Middle-aged and older men most frequently chose ▲production·construction·manual labor (35.3%) ▲driving·delivery (26.0%) ▲service (16.3%), while women preferred ▲food service·beverages (36.2%) ▲production·construction·manual labor (16.2%) ▲service (14.1%).

A representative from Byeoruk Market stated, "Although average life expectancy is increasing, the retirement age is coming earlier, resulting in a growing number of middle-aged and older job seekers hoping to re-enter the workforce," adding, "We plan to further enhance our services to meet the needs of job seekers across various age groups, including the middle-aged and older population."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.