‘It’s hard for women over 50 to find jobs’: retirement age revision plans in China spark anger
- With state pension fund set to run out of money by 2035 as the population rapidly ages, authorities plan to ‘postpone the retirement age in a gradual manner’
- China’s retirement age has not changed for more than four decades, and is lower than that in many other Asian countries and Western nations
Xiao Xue, a stay-at-home mother in Shanghai, is excited she will be celebrating her 50th birthday next year because she will be eligible to receive pensions.
For people like Xiao, who are unemployed, the retirement age is 50.
“I have been paying for the social security scheme all these years as a freelancer,” she told the Post. “I feel I am lucky because I can retire at 50, but for people younger than me, they probably have to retire at an older age and they hate that.”
China’s retirement policy was set 50 years ago, with men allowed to file for retirement benefits when they turn 60. Women in blue-collar jobs can retire when they are 50, while the retirement age for female office workers is 55.
However, the Chinese government released a directive this month that suggests it is seriously considering asking citizens to delay their retirement.
