The retirement wave combined with declining birth rates has led to ongoing financial losses for labor insurance. Despite government bailouts and an increase in insured individuals and wages, the bankruptcy deadline has been pushed from 2028 to 2031. However, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics reported that by the end of 2024, the hidden debt of central and local governments will exceed 20.6 trillion, with labor insurance alone accounting for 13.6 trillion, an increase of 1.56 trillion from 2023, causing concern among many workers.

Many elderly workers fear they will have to return to the workforce after retirement as they worry about getting by on labor insurance benefits.

According to data from the Labor Insurance Bureau, the number of individuals receiving old-age benefits reached 1.96 million last year, steadily increasing by approximately 93,000 each year compared to three years ago. This increase is primarily due to the continuation of annuities, which are issued monthly and contribute to a rolling rise in claimants. The labor insurance system has been in deficit since 2017, and while the bankruptcy deadline has been extended, failure to reform will perpetuate the increasing hidden debt.