Japan commemorated its "Respect for the Aged Day" earlier this week, with the national holiday underscoring a somewhat problematic fact — the country has a record number of elderly citizens to celebrate. Government data released ahead of the event showed that Japan's population of people aged 65 and over had risen to an all-time high of 36.25 million. A survey from Teikoku Databank last month showed that 51% of companies across sectors in Japan feel there is a shortage of full-time employees. Meanwhile, 2023 saw the number of Japan's workers aged 65 and over rise for a 20th consecutive year to reach a record 9.14 million, Statistics Bureau data showed. Feldman warned that as these elderly workers begin to retire from the workforce, there won't be the same number of young workers stepping up to replace them.

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Persons: Robert Feldman, Morgan, Databank, Feldman Organizations: Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Morgan Stanley, Securities Locations: Japan