Authorities tackle ageism in job market

Chinese authorities and companies are taking steps to address the so-called "curse of 35", a discriminatory hiring practice that sidelines or dismisses workers age 35 and older due to labor costs. More employers across the country are easing age restrictions in their recruitment policies in an effort to promote fairer hiring.

In Heyuan, Guangdong province, a government recruitment program announced earlier this month that 355 new employees would be hired for government departments this year. The general age requirement is 18 to 35 years old, but that age limit has been extended to 40 for candidates with master's degrees or for demobilized military personnel and their family members.

Candidates as old as 45 who have doctorates and those up to age 50 with senior professional titles may also apply for the program.

Other provinces and cities have introduced similar changes. In November, Shanghai said applicants for the city's civil service exam must be between 18 and 35 years old, with the age limit raised to 40 for those with master's or doctoral degrees.

Guangzhou Pharmaceuticals Holdings, a major State-owned enterprise specializing in traditional Chinese medicine, biomedicine and healthcare, announced in May that it welcomes jobseekers under the age 45, with the cap extended to 50 for applicants with notable work experience.

"Companies generally seek to hire employees in economical and reasonable ways. That means workers must produce value equal to their pay, or companies may prefer younger candidates who have more energy and cost less," said Zhaopin, a leading online recruitment platform.

Cheng Yang, a senior partner at Beijing-based law firm Lantai Partners, echoed that view in a recent interview with Workers' Daily, a major national newspaper. Cheng said age caps are often used to control labor costs, as older workers may incur higher expenses for wages, healthcare and benefits.

However, she emphasized that older employees tend to be more experienced and skilled, and that eliminating age discrimination is becoming increasingly urgent. China began implementing a policy this year to progressively raise the statutory retirement age over 15 years — from 60 to 63 for men and from 50 or 55 to 55 or 58 for women, depending on the occupation.

Li Xinyu, 33, who works at an advertising agency in Beijing, said she feels growing insecurity and anxiety as she ages in a youth-driven industry.

"Younger people are always favored in our industry because employers believe they have more creative ideas," Li said. "That puts a lot of pressure on those of us nearing 35."

She added that she has enrolled in numerous training programs over the past two years to stay current and enhance her skills, and hopes the government will introduce stricter rules to protect workers in her age group.

In recent years, China has rolled out several national policies aimed at curbing age discrimination. In September, the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet, released a guideline calling for high-quality and full employment. The guideline pledged to eliminate unreasonable restrictions and discrimination in employment related to gender and age.

Cheng, from Lantai Partners, said stronger legal measures are needed to define and penalize age discrimination. She recommended that authorities establish a system to screen job ads for biased age limits, and publicly name and penalize companies that engage in discriminatory hiring practices.