There are about one million people in Taiwan under 65 who have retired early. That’s the word from the government statistics office. It is the highest number in recent years.
The number of 55 to 64 year olds who retired early has increased in recent years. This trend is happening in both the public and private sectors.
The office said this population is growing because society is aging. There are more and more people in the 55 to 64 year old category and many have retired early.
In 2013, the average retirement age for those in the business world was 57.4 years old. Many people are retiring before they hit 60.
An official at the statistics office Huang Gu-shi said another factor is the work environment is not that friendly to older employees. Even though those in their 50's have not hit retirement age, they are often encouraged to retire early when companies make budget cuts.
He said it is important to create a work environment that is friendly to older people. Some companies don’t treat their senior employees as assets but rather as burdens. Huang said this attitude needs to change.