Thus, Japan’s mixed policy - aspiring to maintain lifetime employment conditions through to age 65, but at the same time recognising the likelihood that this will not be feasible for all firms and that labour costs may need to be sharply reduced after the age of 60 - may be in practice more realistic and effective in terms of promoting older-worker employment. After the age of 64, the payment of El contributions is voluntary. Payment of ECB for 2 years, at a rate of 15% of current earnings, and given that current earnings are 40% lower than pre-retirement earnings, would be equivalent to 2.16 months of pre-retirement earnings in total. Voluntarily insured elderly workers are entitled to 30 days of benefit after less than a year of contributions and 50 days after a year or more.