Population ageing, that is, the increase in the proportion of the older population, is not only a global phenomenon in China, but also poses a far-reaching challenge to the retirement policy formulation of various countries. The impact of aging on retirement policy is mainly reflected in two aspects:
First, as the elderly population increases, the pressure on pension payments increases. Under the pay-as-you-go system, i.e., the use of current employee contributions to pay retirees' pensions, an imbalance in the ratio of workers to retirees will inevitably lead to a funding gap.
Second, the tightening of the labor market due to an ageing population also poses a challenge to the economic growth potential. As the number of working-age population decreases, the supply of labor is tightened, which may have a negative impact on the speed of economic development and social productivity.
In the face of this challenge, many** have adopted the policy of delaying the retirement age as a coping strategy. In France, for example, the statutory retirement age was raised from 60 to 62 in 2010 in an effort to reduce the burden on the public pension system. Since the 1990s, Japan has gradually raised the retirement age for men from 60 to 65 years in order to accommodate an ageing population and improve the financial sustainability of the pension system.
The relationship between work intensity and retirement in different occupations
When discussing the personalization of retirement policies, the importance of the work intensity and conditions of different occupations to the retirement age decision cannot be ignored. Forcing these occupational groups to delay retirement may be extremely unfair to workers in occupations that are highly work-intensive and physically or psychologically demanding and may cause workers to reach their work limits early.
Comparison of work intensity and working conditions in different occupations
First of all, we must be clear that there are many types of occupations, and each profession has different requirements for workers. For example, occupations such as construction workers, miners and farmers usually involve a lot of physical labor, and the working environment is often harsh, such as high temperature, high humidity or dust pollution, and long-term fatigue may lead to occupational diseases or early physical decline in workers. Conversely, office work is often considered less stressful and less physically demanding. But in fact, long hours of static work can also lead to a series of health problems, such as eye fatigue, lower back and neck pain, etc.
Differential effects of mandatory delayed retirement
When policymakers consider delaying the retirement age, this significant difference between occupations must be taken into account. Forcing all occupations to postpone retirement will ignore these differences and affect different groups to varying degrees. For example, for frontline manual workers, delaying the retirement age may mean that they need to continue working in conditions that are already severely depleting. For white-collar workers who are more mentally concentrated, although the physical burden may be smaller, long-term mental stress may also lead to mental health problems, and the mandatory delay is also detrimental to their health maintenance.
The impact of working conditions on retirement age
Further, working conditions and environment can also have an impact on retirement age. Offshore oilfield workers, for example, work in relatively isolated and harsh environments, often far from land, and have to deal with harsh natural environments such as sea breezes and waves, as well as long periods of loneliness and absence. Forcing such workers to delay retirement means prolonging the time they spend in this high-pressure environment, and is clearly a neglect of their physical and mental health.
Social consequences of mandatory delayed retirement policies
In addition, the mandatory postponement of retirement policy may also have a series of social consequences. Due to differences in physical condition or the nature of the occupation, workers may choose to retire early, even if it means they will receive a lower pension. This may not only exacerbate poverty in old age, but may also lead to social injustice and injustice among different occupations. When workers are forced to retire due to physical exhaustion, they may feel a sense of abandonment from society and feel that they are not being properly rewarded for their contributions.