Retirees relishing a return to work

Young seniors

As the numbers of China's aging population continue to grow, the ranks of young seniors (those aged 60-69) are also rising.

Data from the seventh national census taken in May 2021 show the number of people who were 60 or older in China in 2020 stood at 264.02 million, of which 147.39 million were in the 60-69 age bracket, accounting for 55.83 percent of the elderly population.

A recent report by the recruitment portal 51job said 68 percent of surveyed retirees have expressed a stronger willingness to continue working.

The portal also conducted a survey among retirees returning to the job market. Nearly 47 percent said they wanted to return to work to realize their personal and social value, while 19 percent looked forward to pursuing better career development by using their skills. Some 34 percent of the respondents said that they wanted to work to continue supporting their family or to meet higher-level consumption needs.

Boss Zhipin, another Chinese jobs platform, reported that last year the number of applicants it received from people older than 55 rose by 27 percent year-on-year, and the number of job offerings open to retirees rose by 33 percent.

In 2021, the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council proposed improving policies and measures, such as employment, volunteer services, and community governance, to fully tap the role of young seniors. In fields such as schools, hospitals, community household services and public service management, efforts should be made to explore flexible employment models suitable for the elderly, according to opinions gathered by the two bodies.