고령화에 따른 퇴직연령과 연금 수급연령의 조정: 독일 사례 연구

In Korea, there exists a gap between the statutory age of retirement and the entitlement age of the old-age pension, and this gap will expand in the future. There are two conflicting arguments : deferring of the statutory age of retirement vs deferring of the real retirement age. Though financial sustainability of NPS is threatened, the wage replacement ratio in the law is low and due to the short employment period, the wage replacement ratio in reality is even lower. This causes poverty issues amongst the elderly not only in the present but in the future. The purpose of this paper is to draw implications based on case study of Germany in order to alleviate these issues. Since the middle of 1980’s, Germany used unemployment insurance and pension insurance combined in order to boost the employment of elderly workers and could solve the problems connected with financial sustainability of pension insurance and elderly poverty. Based on the case study of Germany, policy implications were drawn. First, deferring of the real retirement age is more desirable than deferring of the statutory age of retirement. Second, policy for lengthening the insurance period of NPS is needed in order to relieve problems related with financial sustainability of NPS, shortage of labor force and elderly poverty due to the low wage replacement ratio. Third, considering the reality that the debate on pension reform is stopped due to the strong resist of the insured, I propose to take a phased approach for 20 years in which employment of the elderly workers can be boosted and financial sustainability of NPS can be secured. Forth, the introduction of Gradual Retirement System should be reviewed as a mid/long-term project. Fifth, more pension information should be provided to the insured.