The Labor Supply and Retirement Behavior of China’s Older Workers and Elderly in Comparative Perspective

This paper highlights the employment patterns of China's over-45 population and, for perspective, places them in the context of work and retirement patterns in Indonesia, Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom. As is common in many developing countries, China can be characterized as having two retirement systems: a formal system, under which urban employees receive generous pensions and face mandatory retirement by age 60, and an informal system, under which rural residents and individuals in the informal sector rely on family support in old age and have much longer working lives. Gender differences in age of exit from work are shown to be much greater in urban China than in rural areas, and also greater than observed in Korea and Indonesia. Descriptive evidence is presented suggesting that pension eligible workers are far more likely to cease productive activity at a relatively young age. A strong relationship between health status and labor supply in rural areas is observed, indicating the potential role that improvements in access to health care may play in extending working lives and also providing some basis for a common perception that older rural residents tend to work as long as they are physically capable. The paper concludes with a discussion of measures that may facilitate longer working lives as China's population ages.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Giles, John, Wang, Dewen, Cai, Wei
Format:	Policy Research Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	2011-10-01
Subjects:	ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, ACCOUNTING, AGE DISTRIBUTION, AGE POPULATIONS, AGE SUPPORT, AGING POPULATION, AGING POPULATIONS, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, BLUE COLLAR OCCUPATIONS, BULLETIN, CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT, DEMOGRAPHERS, DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS, DEVELOPMENT POLICY, DISABILITY, DISLOCATED WORKERS, DISPLACED WORKERS, EARLY RETIREMENT, ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, ECONOMIC RESOURCES, ECONOMIC STATUS, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, ELDERLY, ELDERLY POPULATION, EMPLOYABILITY, EMPLOYEE, EMPLOYMENT, EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN, EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES, EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS, EMPLOYMENT RATE, EMPLOYMENT RATES, EMPLOYMENT STATUS, EXTENDED FAMILY, FAMILY MEMBERS, FAMILY SUPPORT, FEMALE EMPLOYMENT, FEMINIST, GENDER DIFFERENCES, GENDER DISCRIMINATION, GENDER DISPARITY, HEALTH INSURANCE, HEALTH PROBLEMS, HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION, HOURS OF WORK, HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS, HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS, HOUSEHOLD WEALTH, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, HUMAN RESOURCES, HUSBANDS, INCOME, INFORMAL SECTOR, INFORMAL SECTOR WORKERS, INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSFERS, INTERNATIONAL POPULATION, JOB HISTORY, JOB LOSS, JOB PLACEMENT, JOB SEARCH, JOBS, LABOR ALLOCATION, LABOR ECONOMICS, LABOR FORCE, LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION, LABOR INCOME, LABOR MARKET, LABOR MARKET OUTCOMES, LABOR MARKETS, LABOR REGULATION, LABOR RELATIONS, LABOR RESEARCH, LABOR SUPPLY, LARGE CITIES, LAYOFF, LEGAL SUPPORT, LEVELS OF EDUCATION, LIFETIME EARNINGS, LOW UNEMPLOYMENT, LOW UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, MALE COUNTERPARTS, MANDATORY RETIREMENT, MARITAL STATUS, MARRIED COUPLES, MARRIED WOMEN, MIGRANT, MIGRANTS, MIGRATION, NATIONAL PENSION, NORMAL RETIREMENT AGE, NUTRITION, OLD AGE, OLD AGE LABOR SUPPLY, OLD-AGE, OLDER ADULTS, OLDER HUSBANDS, OLDER MEN, OLDER WOMEN, OLDER WORKERS, PENSION, PENSION BENEFITS, PENSION COVERAGE, PENSION INCOME, PENSION INCOMES, PENSION PLAN, PENSION PROGRAM, PENSION PROGRAMS, PENSION SCHEME, PENSION SYSTEM, PENSION SYSTEMS, PENSION WEALTH, PENSIONS, POLICY DISCUSSIONS, POLICY RESEARCH, POLICY RESEARCH WORKING PAPER, POLITICAL ECONOMY, POOR HEALTH, POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT, POPULATION CENSUS, PRESENT EVIDENCE, PRIVATE EMPLOYERS, PRIVATE SECTOR, PRIVATE SECTOR JOBS, PRIVATE TRANSFER, PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY, PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYMENT, PRODUCTIVE WORK, PRODUCTIVITY, PROGRESS, PROVISION OF CARE, PUBLIC PENSION, PUBLIC SERVICES, REEMPLOYMENT CENTERS, RESEARCH COMMUNITY, RETIREES, RETIREMENT, RETIREMENT AGE, RETIREMENT AGES, RETIREMENT BEHAVIOR, RETIREMENT DECISION, RETIREMENT DECISIONS, RETIREMENT INCENTIVES, RETIREMENT PLANNING, RETIREMENT SURVEY, RETIREMENT SYSTEMS, RURAL AREAS, RURAL COUNTIES, RURAL POPULATION, RURAL RESIDENTS, RURAL WOMAN, RURAL WOMEN, SELF-EMPLOYMENT, SELFEMPLOYMENT, SERVANTS, SKILLED LABOR, SKILLED WORKERS, SMALL ENTERPRISES, SOCIAL INSURANCE, SOCIAL INSURANCE BENEFITS, SOCIAL PROTECTION, SOCIAL SCIENCES, SOCIAL SECURITY, SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT, SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS, SOCIAL SECURITY REFORM, SOCIAL SECURITY REFORMS, SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM, SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEMS, SPOUSE, SPOUSES, URBAN AREAS, URBAN EMPLOYMENT, URBAN MIGRATION, URBAN POPULATIONS, URBAN WOMEN, URBAN WORKERS, URBANIZATION, WAGE EMPLOYMENT, WAGE INCREASES, WAGES, WORK ACTIVITIES, WORK ACTIVITY, WORK HOURS, WORK IN PROGRESS, WORKER, WORKFORCE, WORKING, WORKING HOURS, WORKING LIFE, WORKPLACE, YOUNG AGE, YOUNG AGES, YOUNG WORKERS, YOUNGER WORKERS, YOUTH EMPLOYMENT,
Online Access:	http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/main?menuPK=64187510&pagePK=64193027&piPK=64187937&theSitePK=523679&menuPK=64187510&searchMenuPK=64187283&siteName=WDS&entityID=000158349_20111024112519 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/3619
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