For manufacturers, the mass retirement of baby boomers will mean losing leagues of highly skilled workers still indispensable even in this age of automation and computerization.
There is growing concern that manufacturers, particularly small and medium-size firms, might lose their technological edge due to the low number of young workers ready to take over from their predecessors.
According to a recent labor ministry survey, 30.5 percent of companies in the manufacturing sector voiced strong concerns about what has been dubbed the "Year 2007 Problem," when the mass retirements are expected to start.