高普考/三四等/高員級◆英文題庫下載題庫

        There’s no question that taking care of the elderly and frail will incur huge costs, stretching already overburdened pension and health-care systems. But with people living longer and continuing to contribute productively to society, we need to recalibrate just what we mean by old. In Japan, for instance, more than a quarter of the population is currently at the age of 60 or older, a figure that’s set to reach 42% by 2050. However, many of these folks are hardly sitting idly at home. One in three Japanese aged 60 or over is still part of the labor force. Keeping older folks employed is particularly important because by mid-century, says the UN, the world will have more elderly people than children. By 2050, nearly a third of the developed world’s labor force will be aged 50 or older. Many elderly are spending more, too. While a good chunk of their savings will be needed to fund longer retirements and higher health payments, older people have considerable purchasing power. Britons over 50 years of age, for instance, control 75% of the country’s wealth. Businesses catering to a so-called silver economy are booming, offering everything from elderly-friendly housing to trips for retiree globetrotters. 

        With the older generation controlling so much of the world’s money, it’s hardly fair to dismiss senior citizens as an inevitable burden on society. “Many Japanese are living so long, it’s like they’ve been given second lives,” says Toshiko Katayose, editor of a Tokyo magazine. “They’re doing everything with energy: working, turning kimonos into cool patchwork designs; even doing math drills to keep mentally fit. ”