Chinese women want to keep working but are forced to retire

Chinese women are protesting against the age of globalization because Beijing is struggling to balance the needs of the elderly and youth unemployment.

Court records show that Chinese women have sued their employers more than 1,000 times since 2019 for dismissal at the age of 50, while their female co-workers can remain until the age of 55. In the ten years prior to 2019, there were fewer than 800 cases.

China’s labor law requires women in some occupations to retire faster than others, but the law is unclear as to which groups are following the law. In the US, the average retirement rate for men and women is 66.

The sheer number of disputes over retirement reflects the growing population of China: the country people are getting older and his birth is declining, making a bomb of the economic age. At the same time, the government is striving to meet the demands of economic growth as public pension funds falter.

“It is true that our retirement laws have led us to waste people’s money and force the pension system,” said a Beijing government adviser who requested anonymity. “But adults also don’t want older people to compete with young people for jobs that are needed.”

China introduced its retirement plan in the early 1950s, while Beijing set the age limit for leaving 50 workers for the majority of women, 55 for women supervisors or for special skills and 60 men regardless of their role.

I have the energy and the will to continue my work. Unfortunately, the court did not hear me

The plan, say experts, was a good match in a country whose citizens were less than 50 years old and women had at least six children.

“We have made it easier for women, especially ordinary people, to retire early so that they can spend more time caring for their family,” said Yuan Xin, Tianjin’s population secretary and government adviser.

Since then, the life expectancy of Chinese women has risen to almost 80 years, and births have dropped, even with the release of contraceptives. Chinese people grew slowly tens of years 10 to 2020.

This, combined with additional education and increased funding, has encouraged many women to look at their works and making retirement savings.

China’s low-cost pension scheme would also help with late retirees, such as Beijing. helping the elderly in this country.

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a retiree, said in a report that the state-funded pension fund would be depleted in 2035. “There should be a new retirement plan as soon as possible,” said Fang Lianquan, one of them. of the authors of the study.

Despite China’s strict labor laws and the rejection of many women professionals who want to work for up to 55 years, the concept of retirement has not changed.

In the eastern region of Jiangsu, Wang Yun, 51, lost a lawsuit this year against his employer, a retailer who worked as an advertising manager, and retired at the age of 50. charter, which reduces administrative responsibilities for directors and above.

“I’ve been in charge of people for almost a decade and I have the energy and the desire to continue my career,” Wang said. Unfortunately, the court did not hear me. ”

Another obstacle to changing retirement policies in China is the country’s youth. Although the number of workers in the country is declining significantly, many young workers are saying so struggling to find employment.

The unemployment rate for Chinese older persons under the age of 24 is more than 13%, compared to an average of 5%. Unemployment also increases when older employees resign.

“China’s economy does not allow both young and old to work full-time,” said an adviser to the Ministry of Finance and Social Security, which imposes retirement laws. “We can only prioritize one group of people.”

Another obstacle to raising the retirement age is the growing number of older women, led by low-skilled workers, who want to enjoy pensions soon after decades of working under a factory or office.

In the northeastern city of Fushun, Wang Feng, a 50-year-old manager, retired this month despite Chinese law allowing him to work for another five years.

“I’ve been working for over 30 years and I don’t feel good over the last few years,” Wang said. “I don’t want to work anymore.”

You Jun, deputy minister for labor and social security, said in February that China would extend retirement “slowly”, but did not give a timeline.

Government officials say the change could begin next year when the retirement age for men and women will extend over a period of several months.

This may not help to reduce the stress of many female professionals, however. “Maybe my daughter’s generation will have the freedom to choose their retirement age,” says Liu Hui, a business associate in Shanghai. “Maybe I won’t have a chance.”