With an aging population and persistent labor shortages, Japanese businesses are increasingly turning to service robots to bolster their workforce, Bloomberg reports.
According to research firm Fuji Keizai, Japan’s service robot market is expected to nearly triple by 2030, reaching ¥400 billion ($2.7 billion).
The growth is driven by a projected labor shortfall of 11 million workers by 2040, as estimated by the Recruit Works Institute, and a government-backed forecast that nearly 40% of the population will be 65 or older by 2065.
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One example of robots stepping in to help is Skylark, Japan’s largest table service restaurant chain. The chain employs around 3,000 cat-eared robots to deliver food to tables. At a Skylark location in Tokyo, 71-year-old Yasuko Tagawa shared that about half of her work now involves some kind of robotic assistance.
In a charming moment, Tagawa was heard telling a robot, “Thanks for your hard work. I’ll be counting on you.”
