Elderly people should consider new careers

When a Beijing company recently advertised a number of low-end job vacancies tailored for retired people, little did it realize it would be "bombarded" with applications. Within days, more than 500 applications were submitted in the form of letters, e-mails, phone calls and even physical visits without appointment. Reading the applicants' resumes, the company's HR manager felt he could open a university by employing these people.

With 22 percent of its 1.4 billion population aged 60 or above by the end of 2024, China has been making continuous efforts to ensure elderly people enjoy a decent retired life. The government has increased pensions for 21 consecutive years, and provided special benefits for elderly people, including free bus rides and free entry to parks. But it's only recently that the government realized it needs to do more to increase elderly people's sense of belonging.

Although China has been gradually extending the retirement age, most Chinese people now retire between 50 and 60 years depending on their gender and the profession they are in. Demographers believe that as a consequence of the baby boom in the 1960s, an average of 20 million people in China will retire each year between 2021 and 2031.