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Japan's silver human resource centers and participant well-being
Robert S Weiss1, Scott A Bass, Harley K Heimovitz
1University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.
Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology
|May 5, 2005
Summary
Japan's Silver Human Resource Center (SHRC) program offers part-time work for retirees. For men, SHRC employment boosted well-being, especially with prior volunteering. Women participants did not show similar benefits.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- The Silver Human Resource Center (SHRC) in Japan offers paid, part-time employment opportunities for older adults.
- Retirement transitions can impact well-being, with employment potentially mitigating negative effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of part-time employment through the SHRC program on the well-being and "ikigai" of new participants.
- To examine gender-specific effects of SHRC employment on retiree well-being.
Main Methods:
- A study of 393 new participants in Japan's Silver Human Resource Center (SHRC) program.
- Participants were categorized based on engagement in SHRC-provided jobs in the preceding year.
- Gender-stratified regression models were used to analyze the association between SHRC employment and well-being.
Main Results:
- Actively working men in SHRC jobs reported greater well-being compared to inactive male members.
- Men who held SHRC jobs and had previous volunteering experience showed the most significant increase in well-being.
- Women participating in SHRC jobs did not exhibit a significant increase in well-being by the study's end.
Conclusions:
- Part-time employment through programs like SHRC can positively impact the well-being of older men.
- The benefits of such programs may differ by gender, warranting further investigation.
- The findings suggest potential value in exploring similar post-retirement employment initiatives for American retirees.