Burden on laborers needs to be eased

A REPORT RELEASED BY THE NATIONAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS on Wednesday revealed that more than 46 million migrant workers over the age of 50 are still doing physical work nationwide, or 17.1 percent of the total. Comments:

Farmers in their 50s are in an awkward position as their physical condition is declining, but they still need to take care of their aged parents and raise their children. The majority of them have no pension, and the poor incomes they derive from growing crops is far from enough to meet their needs. It is their economic burden that forces them to work as laborers in cities.

Zhang Yi, a researcher at the Institute of Sociology, affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, May 3