大企業で相次ぐ「黒字リストラ」その先にある“理想と現実”…「100社応募も不採用」57歳の現実　早期退職はチャンスかリスクか【news23】｜TBS NEWS DIG

While "restructuring" is often associated with losses, an increasing number of companies are actually resorting to layoffs even when they are profitable. We interviewed individuals who have actually taken early retirement to learn about their experiences and the realities they faced. ■ "Profitable Restructuring" on the Rise in Large Corporations This spring, one person made a significant decision. Katsuo Okada (57, pseudonym). Dressed in his best work clothes, he traveled to Tokyo from Shizuoka Prefecture that day. His purpose was… Katsuo Okada: "I'm looking for a new job, so I have a meeting with an agent." Mr. Okada worked for a major corporation for 34 years, his career solely in sales. However, in March 2026, he took early retirement before reaching the mandatory retirement age. However, the company was not experiencing poor performance. Katsuo Okada: "I see this as essentially a profitable restructuring." A profitable restructuring refers to layoffs occurring despite the company being profitable. In fiscal year 2025, the Panasonic Group offered early retirement to 10,000 employees. Mitsubishi Electric received 4,700 applications. Approximately 70% of companies that offered early retirement in fiscal year 2025 were profitable in their most recent financial statements. ■Nearly 100 applications rejected Why are companies restructuring even though they are not operating at a loss? Kosuke Honma, Tokyo Shoko Research "Since middle-aged and older employees make up a relatively large proportion of the workforce, there is a growing trend to optimize the age distribution of personnel." Companies tend to have many executives in their 50s and 60s who were hired in large numbers during and after the bubble economy, while there are fewer mid-career and younger employees. The aim is to rejuvenate companies by restructuring while employees are still physically capable. Katsuo Okada (57, pseudonym) "When I thought about whether I would have a position or place in the company when I turned 60, I couldn't imagine it." Mr. Okada applied for the profitable restructuring. I was anxious, but the prospect of receiving two years' worth of salary as a bonus was a motivating factor. However, reality is not so kind. Email from a company: "We regret to inform you that we are unable to meet your expectations." Katsuo Okada: "I applied to nearly 100 companies, but I haven't been hired yet. I haven't even made it to the interview stage. I'm being rejected at the initial application stage." ■The reality of senior re-employment: "It's tough if you can't produce results quickly." Desperate, I visited a company specializing in senior job placement. Job placement agent: "May I ask about your current situation?" Katsuo Okada (57, pseudonym), who took early retirement from a major company: "I went to interviews with the presidents of two companies through job sites for small and medium-sized enterprises, but I was rejected due to cost-effectiveness, age, and lack of industry knowledge." I tried to highlight my past achievements, but I was confronted with a harsh reality. Recruitment Agent: "Job hunting isn't easy. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) look at whether you can secure a contract in the first month, or whether you can produce results within three months. If you can't produce results then, it's basically a no-go. You should maintain that sense of urgency." Recruitment Agent: "Imagine yourself in the position of a company president. Would you hire them?" Katsuo Okada: "If you think about whether you would hire them..." Recruitment Agent: "If there was a slightly more capable person in their late 20s at the same price, which would you choose?" Katsuo Okada: "I would inevitably choose the person in their 20s..." Katsuo Okada: "I came to understand that the reality of senior re-employment is 'much tougher than I imagined.'" "I realized again that to a certain extent, the company's reputation protected me in terms of work style, job, lifestyle, and salary." ■ "If you can't answer in one sentence what you can do, be careful." Yamato Ichihara, CEO of "BEYOND AGE," has interviewed over 3,000 senior professionals. Recently, a certain change is occurring. BEYOND AGE CEO Yamato Ichihara "We're seeing a significant increase in people in their 50s and late 40s." He says there's been an increase in career change consultations from people working at large companies like NTT Docomo and SoftBank. And those struggling share a common characteristic… BEYOND AGE CEO Yamato Ichihara "People from large companies often receive salaries higher than their actual abilities warrant, and they tend to mistakenly believe that this (high salary) reflects their own abilities." Their re-employment tends to be in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)… BEYOND AGE CEO Yamato Ichihara "Those who say, 'I didn't do much hands-on work because I left it to my subordinates,' will likely find it quite difficult to work in...