Seoul faces rapid demographic transition with compressed aging patterns and structural workforce imbalances. The middle-aged workforce (40–64) comprises 49.2% of employees, but faces a critical employment gap: average retirement age is 49.4 years while desired retirement age is 69.4 years, creating a 20-year economic activity void.
Current employment surveys show 83.0% of companies have hired middle-aged workers, with high demand in caregiving and social welfare sectors (90.2% hiring rate). However, challenges persist including salary expectations (31.0% of companies cite this as main difficulty) and workplace adaptation issues.
Learning from international cases—Japan’s mandatory continued employment to age 70, Germany’s Initiative 50plus financial support, and Singapore’s WorkPro program—Seoul should avoid wage peak systems and focus on job-performance based compensation structures. Public sector leadership followed by private sector expansion proves most effective.
Seoul proposes the "Seoul 4064" brand covering the full middle-aged lifecycle and a three-phase "Seoul-type Stable Continuous Employment System": Phase 1 (2025–2026) public sector pilot programs, Phase 2 (2027–2028) public sector expansion with job transition models, and Phase 3 (2029–) private sector application review. The “Seoul 4064+ Jobs” package will integrate social contribution, public, and private sector employment through systematic career transition support and retraining programs.