Post-Retirement Interests of 50+ Generation: Work > Social Contribution > Leisure... 74% Hope to Engage in Job Seeking Activities

Analysis Based on 5,383 One-on-One Counseling Records of the 50+ Generation in 2019
Average Time from Retirement to Counseling Center Visit Reduced by Over 8 Months to 27 Months

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] It has been revealed that the consultation fields for Seoul citizens aged 50 to 64 at the '50+ Counseling Center' are in the order of work, social contribution, leisure, and social relationships. In particular, consultations related to work accounted for more than half (53.2%) of all consultees, and the most desired activity through consultation was job seeking (74.1%).

According to the Seoul 50 Plus Foundation on the 23rd, among the seven major life planning areas?work, finance, social contribution, social relationships, family, leisure, and health?the consultation area with the highest proportion was 'work (53.2%)', followed by 'social contribution (20.8%)', 'leisure (12.0%)', and 'social relationships (5.1%)'. These figures are based on 5,383 life planning consultation cases conducted one-on-one at the 50+ Counseling Center in 2019.

The most desired activity through consultation was job seeking (74%), followed by economic activities excluding social contribution or full-time work (21%), and start-up/creation jobs (4%). Regarding the preferred type of job, responses showed that social contribution type accounted for the highest proportion at 54.3%, followed by livelihood type at 23.8%, and mixed type at 17.7%.

Consultations related to social contribution, social relationships, and leisure also showed a significant increase compared to 2018. The number of consultations in the leisure area more than doubled compared to 2018, and consultations in social relationships and social contribution areas also increased significantly. This suggests that the 50+ generation is showing complex needs not only for economic issues but also for social contribution activities and social relationships.

The gender distribution of visitors to the counseling center was 42% male and 58% female, with the average age of females being 56.83 years and males 59.36 years. Among males, those aged 60-64 accounted for the largest proportion at 39.6%, while among females, those aged 55-59 accounted for the largest proportion at 29.9%.

The average period from retirement to visiting the counseling center was found to be 27 months. This is more than 8 months shorter compared to the previous year's average visit period of 35.3 months. The total number of consultations was 27,685, an increase of 20.8% compared to the previous year, with one-on-one consultant consultations rising by 45%.

Based on these research results, the foundation plans to conduct follow-up studies such as reorganizing consultation areas to improve consultation efficiency in the future. Additionally, they will explore improvement plans for the placement and operation of consultants so that peer consultants can work regularly and provide assistance at the counseling center.

CEO Kim Young-dae said, “The 50+ counseling operated by the foundation is not simply about delivering information but is characterized by exploring and diagnosing what the 50+ generation can do or wants to try together, and supporting subsequent activity linkage.” He added, “Based on these research results, we will seek ways to improve consultation efficiency and strengthen accessibility for citizens by establishing 50+ Counseling Centers at the 50 Plus Campuses and centers to be additionally opened in the future.”