Career Changes Becoming More Common Among Middle-Aged, Elderly People; Many Want to Consider New Paths as They Approach Retirement

By Kayo Yamada Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

12:28 JST, June 29, 2025

These days, many people want to continue working as long as possible, even into old age. In order to achieve this, an increasing number of middle-aged and older people approaching or past retirement age are reconsidering their established career paths. The national government and municipal governments are providing support for these people’s career changes.

“Changing my career before I hit retirement age led me to become who I am now,” said Mitsuhiko Oyama, 71, a human resources consultant at Alpha Brain Consulting Co. in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.

After graduating from college, Oyama joined an airline company, where he worked primarily in sales and the development of new airline routes. As he approached age 60 and mandatory retirement, he noticed that some of his senior colleagues who had been rehired after retirement age seemed not to enjoy doing the same work they had been doing before. Oyama did not want to end up like that.

At 57, Oyama became certified as a career consultant who can provide advice and support for training people.

He requested to be transferred to his company’s human resources department, offering the certification to support his case, and was assigned there at 59.

He was rehired by the firm after reaching retirement age and continued working in the human resources department until 2021, when he turned 67.

Oyama spent about six months at home after that. But he said that during that time he felt like he was “not living.” He also was worried about whether he could survive on his pension benefits alone. “I thought, ‘I still can work,’” Oyama said. His intention to keep working was strengthened by a desire to stay connected to society.

While working part-time at a COVID-19 vaccination site, he began searching for a job as a human resources training instructor, eventually finding his current position.

Now, Oyama works about three days a week. He provides advice on human resource development to employees of listed companies and plans training programs. He makes even more money than he did during his post-retirement work at his previous company. “I want to keep working as long as I’m in good health,” Oyama said.

“Since Oyama has a proven track record of human resource development within an organization, he is persuasive and customers are highly satisfied with him,” said Akihiro Kamikura, 58, who was involved in hiring Oyama.

Labor shortage

The job market for middle-aged and older workers has also gradually become more active in recent years.

According to Takashi Sakamoto, 39, a researcher at Recruit Works Institute, while many people are rehired after their mandatory retirement age by the businesses where they worked until then, others seek new workplaces, even with lower wages.

Against the backdrop of an ongoing labor shortage, some small and midsize enterprises are now beginning to focus on creating environments where people can work longer. “The market for job changes will continue to expand in the future,” Sakamoto said.

In June last year, the Tokyo metropolitan government established the Platinum Career Center in Tokyo’s Minato Ward to help middle-aged and older workers review their career paths and find opportunities to continue working. The center hosts networking events to introduce part-time or side jobs to people aged 50 or older who are currently employed by companies and other organizations.