Society

Japan's shrinking labor pool sharpens quest for productivity

Automation a growing priority as working-age population shrinks 14% in 25 years

20211130N Nojima worker

Electronics retailer Nojima scrapped its age ceiling for employees in October. © Reuters

Nikkei staff writers
December 1, 2021 05:10 JST

TOKYO -- Japan's working-age population sank to just over 75 million last year, down 13.9% from the 1995 peak, underscoring an urgent need for productivity growth to keep the economy expanding as the labor pool dwindles.

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