Kunpeng Project
Recently, Yao Yang, a liberal arts distinguished professor at Peking University's National School of Development, made a widely publicized view in a speech: extending the retirement age can help solve the labor problem. In particular, he pointed out that the current policy of retiring women at the age of 50 is inappropriate.
Professor Yao's remarks immediately sparked heated discussions from all walks of life. Many people believe that 50-year-old women are indeed still in the prime of their lives, and they not only have a wealth of work experience, but also are in a very good physical and mental state. In first-tier cities, women's life expectancy can even reach 90 years, which means that if they retire at 50, they will face up to 40 years of retirement. This is not only a waste of resources for individuals, but also causes a certain amount of pressure on society.
He suggested that the retirement age for women should be slowly extended to 60 and that the retirement age for men should be adjusted accordingly. He believes that with the development of society and the progress of science and technology, the demand for heavy physical labor is gradually decreasing, and extending the retirement age can not only relieve the pressure on the labor market, but also make full use of the experience and wisdom of middle-aged and elderly people to make greater contributions to the development of society.
This view is also supported by a number of experts and scholars. They believe that with the increase in life expectancy and the improvement of health standards, the traditional retirement age is no longer suitable for the needs of modern society. By extending the retirement age, we can better balance the supply and demand of labor and promote sustainable economic development.
Of course, the adjustment of this policy also needs to take into account the special circumstances of different industries and positions, as well as the physical condition and willingness of individuals. In addition, there is a need for corresponding social security and vocational training measures to ensure that middle-aged and elderly people can smoothly transition to new jobs and continue to play their value.
The proposal to extend the retirement age has a positive impact on many other ways than just addressing the labor problem.
First of all, postponing the retirement age can effectively reduce the pressure on the pension system. Due to the increasing problem of population aging, the pension system is facing great challenges. If people can work longer, they can accumulate more economic reserves for their later life, and at the same time, they can also reduce the economic burden on society.
It also promotes the continued development and growth of the individual. Many middle-aged and older people are still energetic and creative when they reach the traditional retirement age, and they are eager to continue to realize their self-worth at work. Extending the retirement age provides more opportunities for these individuals to continue to learn new skills and explore new areas for their overall personal development.
In addition, this measure helps to promote inclusion and diversity in society. As the retirement age increases, there will be more age groups in the workplace. This multigenerational work environment fosters communication and collaboration between people of different ages, helping to break down ageism and improve the innovation and competitiveness of teams.
Of course, there are some challenges to implementing policies to extend the retirement age. For example, how to ensure the health and work ability of middle-aged and elderly employees, how to adjust the career planning and training system, how to balance work and life and other issues need to be considered in depth and properly resolved. Therefore, the formulation and implementation of relevant policies need to fully listen to the opinions of all parties and comprehensively consider economic, social, cultural and other factors to ensure the success and sustainability of the policies.
In short, extending the retirement age is a multi-dimensional and multi-faceted issue, involving individuals, families, enterprises and society. It is not only about economic development and the balance of the labor market, but also about people's quality of life and happiness. Therefore, the discussion and implementation of this policy requires extensive social participation and in-depth research and analysis in order to achieve its expected positive effects.