Health official affirms pledge to help elderly population in job market

A senior health official has reiterated the Chinese government’s commitment to help more people age 60 to 69 find jobs.

The age group - which is forecast to swell to 210 million by 2030 — has rich experience and skills, said Wang Jianjun, a senior Party official at the National Health Commission.

“We will strive to have the senior population play a more important role in the new era, realize their value and improve their quality of life,” he said.

He was speaking on Wednesday at a conference in Beijing to mark the 30th anniversary of the China Association of Universities for the Aged. The event was attended by 400 people, including government officials and university students.

Wang said efforts should be carried out scientifically and gradually.

China opened its first university for seniors in Shandong province in 1983. Since then, the number of such colleges has risen to 62,000, with a total of more than 8 million students, according to the association.

Another 5 million have benefited from long-distance courses, it added.

Education for elderly citizens has made huge progress in China thanks to reform and opening-up, Wang said.

He said the association has helped develop courses for seniors, implement lifelong learning and utilize human resources.

The country is expected to have 500 million people age 60 and over by 2050, according to data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

By that time, the elderly dependency ratio - the proportion of seniors supported by people of working age - is expected to be 10-to-13.

In China, the mandatory retirement age is usually 60 for men and 55 for women. As there are no laws or regulations protecting seniors’ rights to re-enter the workforce, making them vulnerable to age discrimination.