To Encourage More Middle-Aged and Elderly to Return to Work, Ministry of Labor Relaxes Incentive Thresholds
Taiwan's Ministry of Labor has relaxed the eligibility criteria for its "55 Employment Promotion Measures" to encourage more middle-aged and elderly individuals to return to the workforce. The changes include lowering the wage threshold for part-time workers and shortening the employment period required for incentives from 90 to 30 days. The ministry also expanded eligible contract types to include fixed-term contracts and extended the application period for employer subsidies to a full 12 months, aiming to boost labor participation and retention of older workers.
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- 📰 Published: April 10, 2026 at 22:12
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The Ministry of Labor's Workforce Development Agency held a press conference today titled "Middle-Aged Pillars Not Retiring, Senior Wisdom Creating Value."
In response to Taiwan's aging population and declining birthrate, the Ministry of Labor is actively promoting the labor participation of middle-aged (over 55) and elderly individuals, encouraging them to return to the workplace and utilize their wisdom and experience. Since 2024, it has been implementing the "55 Employment Promotion Measures," which provide employment incentives to encourage workers to remain in the labor market and encourage employers to provide workplace support and guidance to optimize the work environment.
The Ministry of Labor statistics show that in 2025, nearly 5,000 people were incentivized to return to work, and nearly 1,500 workers were assisted in optimizing their work environment and conditions.
The Ministry of Labor stated that to enhance the effectiveness of measures promoting the return of middle-aged and elderly individuals to the workplace, considering the diverse working hours in the current labor market and the benefits of flexible working hours for the continued retention of middle-aged and elderly individuals, it has revised four eligibility conditions for the "55 Employment Promotion Measures."
Firstly, the wage threshold for workers has been lowered. Part-time workers aged 55-64 and over 65 can receive incentives if their wages reach 1/3 and 1/4 of the minimum wage, respectively. The incentive amounts remain unchanged at NT$3,500 and NT$2,500, respectively.
Additionally, the Ministry of Labor has shortened the period for middle-aged and elderly individuals to claim return-to-work incentives from the original 90 days of employment to 30 days. This means that after being referred for employment by a public employment service institution, workers become eligible for incentives after 30 days, significantly enhancing the incentive to return to work.
The Ministry of Labor also relaxed the requirement that workers' positions be limited to indefinite-term contracts, now including "fixed-term contracts" to increase employment options. To encourage workers who are involuntarily unemployed to actively seek employment, eligible workers referred by public employment service institutions who experience involuntary termination by an employer may be exempt from recalculating the 3-month unemployment eligibility period.
Regarding encouraging enterprises to retain talent, the Ministry of Labor pointed out that the "Subsidy Program for Continued Employment of Elderly Workers" has shown significant results, with the number of elderly workers subsidized exceeding 2,500 in 2025.
The Ministry of Labor stated that to respond to the needs of businesses and encourage them to actively retain talent, the application period has been extended from the original 2 months to a full 12 months, making applications more convenient. (Edited by Kuan Chung-wei) 1150410
In response to Taiwan's aging population and declining birthrate, the Ministry of Labor is actively promoting the labor participation of middle-aged (over 55) and elderly individuals, encouraging them to return to the workplace and utilize their wisdom and experience. Since 2024, it has been implementing the "55 Employment Promotion Measures," which provide employment incentives to encourage workers to remain in the labor market and encourage employers to provide workplace support and guidance to optimize the work environment.
The Ministry of Labor statistics show that in 2025, nearly 5,000 people were incentivized to return to work, and nearly 1,500 workers were assisted in optimizing their work environment and conditions.
The Ministry of Labor stated that to enhance the effectiveness of measures promoting the return of middle-aged and elderly individuals to the workplace, considering the diverse working hours in the current labor market and the benefits of flexible working hours for the continued retention of middle-aged and elderly individuals, it has revised four eligibility conditions for the "55 Employment Promotion Measures."
Firstly, the wage threshold for workers has been lowered. Part-time workers aged 55-64 and over 65 can receive incentives if their wages reach 1/3 and 1/4 of the minimum wage, respectively. The incentive amounts remain unchanged at NT$3,500 and NT$2,500, respectively.
Additionally, the Ministry of Labor has shortened the period for middle-aged and elderly individuals to claim return-to-work incentives from the original 90 days of employment to 30 days. This means that after being referred for employment by a public employment service institution, workers become eligible for incentives after 30 days, significantly enhancing the incentive to return to work.
The Ministry of Labor also relaxed the requirement that workers' positions be limited to indefinite-term contracts, now including "fixed-term contracts" to increase employment options. To encourage workers who are involuntarily unemployed to actively seek employment, eligible workers referred by public employment service institutions who experience involuntary termination by an employer may be exempt from recalculating the 3-month unemployment eligibility period.
Regarding encouraging enterprises to retain talent, the Ministry of Labor pointed out that the "Subsidy Program for Continued Employment of Elderly Workers" has shown significant results, with the number of elderly workers subsidized exceeding 2,500 in 2025.
The Ministry of Labor stated that to respond to the needs of businesses and encourage them to actively retain talent, the application period has been extended from the original 2 months to a full 12 months, making applications more convenient. (Edited by Kuan Chung-wei) 1150410
FAQ
What are the "55 Employment Promotion Measures"?
These are policies implemented by Taiwan's Ministry of Labor to promote labor participation among middle-aged and elderly individuals, encouraging their return to work and continued employment.
How much has the employment period for receiving incentives been shortened?
After being referred by a public employment service institution, 30 days of employment are now sufficient to qualify for incentives.