This study conducts a narrative review grounded in a life-course perspective to examine how Taiwan and Japan structure divergent policy pathways for older adults’ re-employment. Drawing on legislative documents, government reports, and academic literature, the review analyzes how institutional arrangements shape late-career transitions across the life span.
Japan’s mandate-driven system produces a highly standardized pathway. The legally required extension of employment to age 70 establishes a universal transition at age 60, yet it often results in a noticeable “salary cliff” and occupational downgrading. These mechanisms reorganize late-life work trajectories in ways that limit individual agency.
In contrast, Taiwan’s incentive-based model generates a fragmented and stratified pathway. Re-employment opportunities largely depend on individuals’ accumulated human and economic capital, allowing high-skilled older workers to continue with greater flexibility, while low-skilled workers face more precarious exits. This pattern reinforces cumulative disadvantages over the life course.
Overall, despite their contrasting institutional logics—state-directed in Japan and market-oriented in Taiwan—both models reflect a tension between regulation and limited support. A life-course perspective highlights how current policies do not fully enable self-determined and dignified late-life work trajectories. Future policy development should move beyond narrow labor-utilitarian objectives to promote meaningful and equitable pathways for older adults.

Authors:
Chengwei Hsieh, National Chi Nan University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
I am a graduate student at National Chi Nan University and serve as a research assistant on an NSTC-funded project led by my professor. My work focuses on community development, aging policy, and community-based support for older adults.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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