Voluntary Retirements at Japanese Listed Companies Expected to Exceed 10,000 in 2024

Tokyo Shōkō Research announced that in the period from January through November 15, 2024, 9,219 employees from 53 companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange were solicited for early or voluntary retirement. It was the first time in three years that the number of companies exceeded 50, with a total 1.5 times as many as the 36 companies in 2023, while the number of employees was three times as many.

This was the second highest rate of voluntary and early retirement seen in recent years, after 2020–21 when the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact. According to Tokyo Shōkō Research, “if this pace continues, the number of employees taking retirement will most likely exceed 10,000, which last happened three years ago in 2021.”

Of the 53 companies soliciting retirements, 13 or 25% were in electronics. This was followed by information and communications with 8 companies, equating to 15%.

Tokyo Shōkō Research commented that “it reflects companies rushing to cut back on personnel in response to the changing global economy and to downsize or withdraw from their existing fields, while expanding into new ones. Large-scale soliciting of early retirement will very likely continue.”

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)