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the gradual delay of the statutory retirement age is a major reform made by the party central committee based on the development needs of my country's economic, social and demographic situation, with a long-term perspective, after long-term preparation, full research and prudent decision-making. it is an objective requirement for economic and social development and an inevitable choice for my country to adapt to the new normal of population development. it is related to supporting china's modernization with high-quality population development. it has objective inevitability and practical urgency, and the society pays great attention to it. the third plenary session of the 20th cpc central committee made it clear that the reform of gradually delaying the statutory retirement age should be promoted steadily and orderly in accordance with the principles of voluntariness and flexibility. "voluntariness" and "flexibility" are both the main principles of the reform and the most important characteristics of the reform.

the current statutory retirement age in my country is 60 for male employees and 55 or 50 for female employees. this is determined based on many factors such as life expectancy, working conditions, and employment methods at the time of the founding of the people's republic of china. since the founding of the people's republic of china, especially since the reform and opening up, my country has made remarkable achievements in economic and social development, especially in the health and wellness industry, with people's health level and physical fitness continuously improving, and the average life expectancy of chinese residents has increased significantly. according to statistics, the average life expectancy of chinese residents has increased from about 40 years old in the early days of the founding of the people's republic of china to 78.6 years old. at the same time, my country has actively implemented the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education. on the basis of vigorously implementing compulsory education, through measures such as promoting the popularization of high school education, enhancing the adaptability of vocational and technical education, and increasing the enrollment rate of higher education, the average years of education of my country's labor force has increased year by year. the average years of education of my country's new labor force has increased from 8 years in 1982 to 14 years in 2023, which is a significant increase, which means that the age at which people start working has been continuously postponed and the working hours have been shortened. under the condition that the statutory retirement age remains unchanged, the shortening of the average working years will lead to problems such as waste of human resources and reduced utilization of human capital. the problem of my country's overall low retirement age is particularly prominent.

in reality, workers of different occupations, types of work, and positions have different employment stability and labor intensity, and their personal physical conditions, family needs, and value pursuits also vary greatly, so their demands for delayed retirement are also different. under the principles of "voluntariness" and "flexibility", delaying the statutory retirement age does not mean that everyone must reach the delayed statutory retirement age before they can retire, but rather fully considers the demands of different groups and satisfies workers' independent and flexible choice of retirement time, rather than a "one-size-fits-all" approach.

the principles of "voluntariness" and "flexibility" will give workers room for independent choice and further increase policy flexibility. workers can choose the specific time of early retirement based on their own physical condition, family situation and job situation, and can also negotiate with employers on an equal footing to jointly determine the number of years of work after reaching the statutory retirement age. compared with the current retirement policy, the reform of delaying the statutory retirement age actually gives workers greater labor autonomy.

delaying the statutory retirement age will meet the diverse needs of workers, allowing them to independently choose a retirement plan that suits their work and life needs, enhance their career planning and autonomy, and better balance work and life. for young elderly people who are willing, able, and qualified to continue working, they do not need to withdraw from the labor market prematurely. they can choose to continue to engage in social production, realize their own value, and better achieve self-development. at the same time, for the elderly who hope to share the joy of family life as soon as possible and have established arrangements for retirement, the reform also fully respects their personal wishes and they can choose to retire early and enjoy their retirement life earlier.

the principles of "voluntariness" and "flexibility" are determined by fully considering my country's actual national conditions, cultural traditions, and historical evolution, and reflect the people-centered development philosophy and reform orientation. on the basis of "voluntariness" and "flexibility", the gradual reform rhythm of "small steps and slow progress" will further mitigate the impact of reform and reduce negative impacts. at the same time, the reform of delaying the statutory retirement age is not a "single-soldier advance", but a systematic project. the relevant supporting and guarantee policies and measures are promoted in a coordinated manner, involving all aspects such as protecting the employment rights and interests of older workers and promoting youth employment, which will further respond to the concerns of the masses and improve the effectiveness of reform.

as an important measure to actively respond to the aging of the population, delaying the statutory retirement age will also coordinate with promoting the coordinated development of aging causes and industries, basic public services and diversified services, promote the development of livelihood causes serving the elderly, solve the basic needs and urgent needs of the elderly, tap the potential of the silver economy, and form a new growth point for economic development. from an overall and long-term perspective, delaying the statutory retirement age is conducive to strengthening the development and utilization of human resources, better leveraging human resources advantages, consolidating the driving force for high-quality economic development, and continuously increasing people's well-being, which is in line with the overall interests, fundamental interests, and long-term interests of the general public.

(the author is the president of the chinese academy of labor and social security sciences and an associate researcher at the chinese academy of labor and social security sciences)