Recently, at the first Shenzhen Financial Forum of Chinese Renmin University, Ma Jiantang, former secretary of the party group of the National Research Center, expressed a thought-provoking view on the issue of reemployment of the elderly. He pointed out that with the advent of the era of longevity and the improvement of living standards, it is necessary to re-examine and adjust the statistical standards for the elderly in the past, and support the re-employment of the elderly between the ages of 60 and 70 to meet their work needs and inject new vitality into society.
Ma Jiantang believes that the current society's definition of the elderly is too simple, and does not fully take into account their differences and needs in real life. He proposed to subdivide the elderly into three levels: "young and elderly" (60-70 years old), "middle-aged and elderly" (70-80 years old) and "old and old" (over 80 years old). Among them, the "young and elderly" between the ages of 60 and 70 are in good health, in good spirits, and have the potential and needs for reemployment.
He further noted that people in this age group have a wealth of experience and skills that can continue to create value for society. Supporting them to re-enter the workforce can not only make full use of their resources, but also bring new vitality to society. At the same time, it also provides a new way to solve the problem of age discrimination in the labor market.
In view of how to better support the re-employment of the elderly, Ma Jiantang put forward a proposal to implement a voluntary choice system in the retirement age range. In his view, individuals should be allowed to voluntarily choose their retirement age within the statutory retirement age range of 60 to 65 years, depending on their work and circumstances. Such a system design can fully respect the wishes and needs of individuals, so that they can continue to participate in social production and creation while enjoying pensions.
Ma Jiantang's views have attracted widespread attention and discussion. On the one hand, proponents believe that this view is in line with the trend of social development and the actual needs of the elderly, and helps to break the traditional age boundaries and promote the all-round development of society. On the other hand, there are concerns that this may put some pressure on young people's employment, and various factors need to be considered more holistically.
In any case, this perspective provides us with a new direction of thinking. In the context of the era of longevity and the aging of the population, how to make better use of the resources and potential of the elderly and create more employment opportunities and social value for them is a problem that we need to study and explore in depth. At the same time, we also need to pay attention to the employment of young people and ensure a balanced and coordinated development between the two.
Overall, Ma Jiantang's perspective provides us with a new perspective on the issue of re-employment of the elderly. In the future, we look forward to seeing more policies and practices that address the actual needs and potential of older persons and create more opportunities and possibilities for them.