Employment Satisfaction for Senior Workers Scores 9.02 Out of 10
Local companies have frequently been re-employing individuals aged 60 and above to address chronic labor shortages at worksites, and the level of satisfaction after hiring them has also been found to be high.
The Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Chairman Yang Jaesaeng) reported these findings on the 19th through the results of a survey on the "Current Status of Senior Workforce Management in Busan," which targeted 152 local companies employing people aged 60 or older.
According to the survey, 24.3% of responding companies employ seniors aged 60 or older as more than 10% of their workforce. More specifically, less than 5% accounted for the largest share at 63.2%, followed by 10% to less than 20% (20.4%), 5% to less than 10% (12.5%), and 20% or more (3.9%).
Regarding the type of employment for those aged 60 and above, re-employment of retired employees was the most common at 75.0% of responding companies. Both re-employment and re-hiring from outside were used by 21.7%, while only re-hiring from outside was used by just 3.3%. Considering companies that use both methods, 96.7% of respondents utilize re-employment.
This trend is analyzed as a result of the needs of seniors who prefer to work in the same workplace and role, aligning with companies’ needs to hire proven and skilled workers.
As companies are able to hire customized senior personnel through re-employment, the satisfaction level among respondents was also found to be very high. Employment satisfaction scored 9.02 out of 10, with little variation and generally positive responses across all categories.
In particular, areas where seniors were expected to be vulnerable, such as labor productivity (8.99), adaptability to change (8.97), and health/physical strength (8.96), also showed relatively high satisfaction, contrary to concerns.
By job category, labor productivity was highest in professional and related managerial positions at 56.6%, followed by general office positions (51.5%), research positions (45.0%), production and field labor positions (37.1%), and service/sales positions (31.8%).
Regarding difficulties in managing senior personnel, 78.3% of responding companies reported no issues. Among those that did report difficulties, 48.5% cited the burden of safety management. This highlights increased concerns about workplace accidents and penalties as the Serious Accidents Punishment Act has been expanded to cover workplaces with fewer than 50 employees.
To manage senior personnel, companies were responding mainly by providing job-specific training to improve productivity, rather than by improving working conditions, restructuring wage systems, or introducing flexible work arrangements. The most preferred support measures for enhancing the productivity of senior personnel were expanding employment subsidies and providing cash incentives to maintain pre-retirement wage levels, thereby boosting work motivation.
A representative from the Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Research Team stated, “With the local working-age population declining due to low birth rates and an aging society, utilizing senior personnel in the industrial field is inevitable,” adding, “Since employment conditions differ by company, substantial policy support is needed to spread re-employment systems that allow companies to autonomously utilize senior personnel.”
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