Delayed retirement | Li Zhong: Impact of reform on youth employment 'generally mild'
Will delayed retirement exert pressure on youth employment?
Li Zhong, Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, stated today (Sept. 13) that, delayed retirement is a gradual process implemented in small increments. He noted that there are structural differences between the positions vacated by retired personnel and those needed for youth employment and that the impact of the reform on youth employment is generally mild.
He also pointed out that the country will improve the paid leave system, establishing legal requirements to protect the basic rights of older workers for the first time.
Develop More Positions to Promote Youth Employment and Create a Fair Employment Environment
Li Zhong stated that the measures approved by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress coordinate the delay of the statutory retirement age with the promotion of youth employment. The measures stipulate that the country will implement an employment-first strategy, promote high-quality and full employment, clarify and improve the public employment service system, and establish a lifelong vocational skills training system to support youth employment and entrepreneurship.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security will strengthen employment-first policies, continually expand youth employment channels, and promote effective improvements in employment quality and reasonable growth in employment numbers.
- Promote Youth Employment by Developing More Jobs
The focus will be on promoting employment through development, strengthening the coordination between industrial policies and employment policies, advancing the modernization of the industrial system, and creating more positions conducive to youth utilizing their skills. There will be a strong emphasis on developing new business forms and models, actively cultivating new occupational categories, and fully exploring and developing new employment growth points.
- Promote Youth Employment by Improving Policy and Service Systems
Further improvements will be made to policies such as position expansion subsidies, stabilization refunds, and tax reductions to encourage companies to hire young people. For youth who take jobs at the grassroots level, benefits such as tuition reimbursement and loan repayment will be provided. For young people starting their own businesses, preferential treatments such as guaranteed loans and entrepreneurship subsidies will be offered. Recruitment of employment internship positions will be strengthened to help youth enhance their practical skills. There will be an emphasis on vocational skills training, public employment services, and career guidance, along with a series of recruitment service activities to improve youth job-seeking capabilities and job matching efficiency.
- Promote Youth Employment by Creating a Fair and Good Environment
Market supervision will be strengthened, and efforts will be made to rectify the order of the human resources market, with strict measures against various illegal activities to effectively protect the legitimate employment rights of youth.
Improve the Paid Leave System to Encourage Employers to Hire Older Workers
Li Zhong pointed out that our country will establish a retirement service system that coordinates home and community institutions with medical and health services, and greatly develop universal childcare services. We will work with relevant departments to refine and implement policy measures effectively.
He mentioned that for workers who have exceeded the statutory retirement age, there are now legal requirements to ensure their basic rights. The measures stipulate that employers hiring workers over the statutory retirement age must guarantee their basic rights, including remuneration, rest and leave, labor safety and health, and work injury protection. This fills a gap in the current labor laws and regulations.
He stated that for older workers who have not yet reached the statutory retirement age, efforts will be made to enhance employment promotion and rights protection. The measures specify strengthening the development of job positions for older workers, improving the employment assistance system for those in difficulty, and strengthening the prevention and regulation of age discrimination in employment, encouraging employers to hire more older workers.
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