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"In the 30-plus years after age 50, a person can expect to spend only about 6.87 years in both good health and working condition. The healthy working life expectancy also varies by gender, socioeconomic and geographic location. A 'one-size-fits-all' approach may not be effective in achieving the goal of extending working life."

A new study from Huazhong University of Science and Technology shows that the total life expectancy (TLE) of 50-year-old workers in China is 30.06 years, and the average healthy working life expectancy (HWLE) is 6.87 years. This means that if a person survives for more than 30 years after the age of 50, it is expected that only about 6.87 years will be in a healthy and working state. There are also differences in healthy working life expectancy based on gender, socioeconomic and regional differences.

On August 1, 2024, a related paper was published in the journal Nature Medicine, which suggested improving the "one-size-fits-all" approach of extending the retirement age.

According to the paper, healthy working life expectancy refers to the average number of years expected to be spent in good health (without diagnosed chronic diseases) and engaged in paid work starting from the age of 50, and has been widely used to assess the health status and work ability of the population. The article states that after the age of 50, it is the middle and late stages of an individual's career, and they may face age-related health challenges, which will further affect their work ability and productivity. Therefore, calculating the working life expectancy at the age of 50 helps to fully understand the health and work status of the population and assess the feasibility of extending the working life.

This study is based on the large-scale longitudinal dataset of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), covering 150 county-level units and 450 village-level units, including 11,572 male (48.27%) and 12,403 female (51.73%) respondents.

The results show that in terms of gender, the healthy working life expectancy of men is 8.06 years, while that of women is 5.77 years. Compared with women, the gap between healthy life expectancy and working life expectancy is larger for men, indicating that men spend more years working in an unhealthy state. At the same time, the gap between healthy life expectancy and healthy working life expectancy is larger for women than for men, indicating that women spend more time being healthy but not working.

In terms of occupational type, the unhealthy working life expectancy (UHWLE) of agricultural workers is almost twice that of enterprise workers, and the healthy non-working life expectancy (HNWLE) of enterprise workers is about twice that of agricultural workers. Agricultural workers and rural population stop working at a very late age (over 65 for women and nearly 70 for men), far exceeding the age when they usually have health problems (about 60 years old).

From a regional perspective, the total life expectancy of 50-year-old workers in eastern China is the highest (30.79 years), while that in the northwest is the lowest (27.28 years). Healthy working life expectancy is the highest in southern China (9.02 years), while that in the northwest is the lowest (2.56 years). Unhealthy working life expectancy decreases gradually from southwest to northeast.

What diseases are associated with unhealthy work status? The study found that for men and women aged 50,hypertensionThe longest unhealthy working years are 5.67 years for men and 4.85 years for women.diabetesChronic diseases such as arthritis are caused by men working longer hours without good health.Digestive systemDisease and heart problems were more likely to be associated with increased unhealthy work hours among women.

The study further explored the relationship between overall lifestyle and healthy working life expectancy, and found that compared with people who adopted 0-1 of the above healthy lifestyles, those who did not smoke, did not drink often, and regularly participated in physical activities had a 2.13-year increase in healthy working life expectancy for men and a 1.61-year increase for women. This difference was also reflected in different regions and occupational groups.

According to the "Peking University-Lancet Major Report: China's Path to Healthy Aging" published in The Lancet on November 22, 2022, China has entered a society with an aging population, and aging will continue to advance rapidly in the future. In 2021, the population aged 65 and above in China accounted for 14.2%, which means that the proportion of the population aged 65 and above in China has doubled in just 21 years, and the old-age dependency ratio (the ratio of the population aged 65 and above to the population aged 20-64) is expected to increase from 0.18 in 2019 to 0.55 in 2050, more than doubling.

Population aging has become a global issue. Many countries are trying to extend working years by delaying the retirement age to offset the heavy burden of population aging. According to an article from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France plan to raise the pension age to 67 between 2023 and 2029. In 2021, the Chinese government issued the "14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of National Aging Affairs and Elderly Care Service System", proposing a gradual delay in the statutory retirement age in the future.

"A major issue associated with raising the pension age is whether it is fair or feasible for everyone working, whether formally or informally, to work longer. Individuals may differ on many sociodemographic characteristics, such as place of residence, education and occupation. These factors can affect health status and the ability to work as people age," the article reads.

"Our study shows that a 'one-size-fits-all' approach may not be effective in achieving the goal of extending working life, which is something policymakers urgently need to recognize." The article suggests that in order to achieve social equity, the rural pension insurance system should be improved, focusing on the main health conditions of vulnerable groups in rural areas and formulating targeted health promotion plans. For individuals and corporate employees with high socioeconomic status in cities, it is crucial to create a good working environment through measures such as progressive retirement plans, fair recruitment and flexible work arrangements.

The article also suggests that proactive public health programs, such as prevention and management of chronic diseases (such as hypertension and arthritis), can reduce the impact of these diseases on work participation. Given that different occupations have different risks of chronic diseases, occupational health policies should be tailored to specific groups.

References:

1.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03184-3

2.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01546-X/fulltext

3.https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2022-02/21/content_5674844.htm

4.https://charls.pku.edu.cn/