Commentator: Qiu Yanbo
There are too few newborns, too many college students, too old to find a job at 35, and too early to retire at 60.
Recently, some experts have suggested adjusting the retirement age as soon as possible, which has sparked heated discussions. Zheng Bingwen, director of the World Social Security Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that China's current retirement age is 12 years earlier than the retirement age in developed countries, and should be adjusted as soon as possible. China is entering a deep aging society, with the elderly population aged 65 and above, accounting for 14.9% of the total population. China's current social pooling system is facing serious challenges, with an aging population leading to fewer and fewer contributors and an increasing number of pensioners.
From this point of view, experts believe that delaying retirement is a way to solve the problem. However, netizens did not buy it.
Some netizens hypothesized an extreme situation, a 60-year-old man who cannot retire, 4 old people above who need to be supported, 35-year-old children who are not working, and grandchildren who are going to school.
It is undeniable that people's health level has also been greatly improved compared to before. There are jobs that don't require much physical effort and can still be filled after the age of 60. Wu Xiaoqiu, an expert at the Chinese University of China, said for example, that some doctors have passed the age of 60, which is the time when medical skills are very high. There are also some university professors, who have both life experience and depth of thought when they reach the age of 60, and it is the time for academic results.
However, in addition to some positions that are suitable for delayed retirement, there are also some positions that are physically demanding and not suitable for delayed retirement. It is obviously unfair for those who work in dangerous environments such as working at height, underground mining, and those who are firefighters who are in and out of dangerous scenes all year round.
In 2023, the number of university graduates in the country will be 11.58 million, plus secondary vocational students, the number is huge, and it is not easy for young people to find jobs. If retirement is delayed, will it affect the employment of young people if they occupy jobs and do not move their jobs?
From 2017 to 2022, in just five years, the number of new births in China has declined for six consecutive years. In order to increase the fertility rate, the state and all localities are introducing relevant policies to encourage and subsidize childbirth. Young people who work now do not have a high willingness to have children, and those who can have children need the help of the elderly at home to take care of their children. If retirement is delayed, the elderly continue to work, and the younger people have no one to help, it may also affect the fertility rate.
In an aging society, everyone is in the middle of it, and they all have different ideas from their own standpoint. However, for some people who have the right to speak, when making suggestions, they should consider from the position of the majority, whether it is conducive to the healthy development of society, and whether it is fair and just. When the society promulgates policies, it should be considered from the perspective of young people, who are the future.