By Ke Yanghua, Zhang Liang & Feng Wenmeng, Research Department of Social Development, DRC

Research Report, No.211, 2020 (Total 5955) 2020-8-28

Abstract: Wider participation of old people in social and economic affairs will not only expand their income sources preventing them from falling into old-aged poverty but also directly ease the current labor shortage, which will be conducive to alleviating the excessive burden of pensions on the state. At present, the participation of old people in China is yet to be enhanced both in the level and the quality. In terms of economic participation, the compulsory retirement system has become the major barrier for old people in urban areas to realize re-employment, while the competitiveness of elderly labor in rural areas lags behind due to their relatively low level of education and labor skills, which is also the reason of their earlier exit from non-agricultural labor market. With regard to social participation, the distribution of educational resources in rural and urban areas is uneven, and old people’s voluntary services fail to be given full play to unleash their participation willingness and capability. Practical experience at home and abroad shows that the efforts to promote the social and economic participation of old people need to focus on increasing their willingness of participation, improving their capability and reducing the barriers to participation, among which, it is particularly urgent to remove the barriers.

Keywords: social participation of old people, employment of old people, education for old people, old people’s voluntary services