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interface news reporter | chen shenglong

interface news editor | liu haichuan

with the deepening of aging,the contradiction between pension income and expenditure weakens its guarantee ability. gradually raising the legal retirement age and increasing labor supply have become unavoidable trends for major economies.

according to the latest public data, the average life expectancy of the 38 member countries of the organization for economic cooperation and development (oecd) has reached 81 years. at least 3/5 are about to raise the statutory retirement age. the average retirement age for men will be delayed to 66.3 years old and for women to 65.8 years old. . the retirement age in denmark, italy, estonia, sweden, and the netherlands will also reach or exceed 70 years old in the future.

generally speaking, the main measures taken by developed countries to raise the statutory retirement age are: multiple pillars to support it, gradual advancement (ranging from 1 to 4 months every year), and flexible retirement age、men and women are unified, and the minimum payment period for receiving a full pension is more than 35 years.

european and american countries often achieve stability and sustainability through institutional changes that take at least decades, and generally receive positive results in the first few years, but then resistance and deficiencies gradually appear due to actual national conditions such as imbalances in capital balances. even side effects.

germany: the project manager was fired when he was about to retire, and his life was boring and he found a "part-time job"

european countries delay retirement more to increase labor supply. a more representative example is the "economic engine" germany.。

according to available historical data, germany's predecessor, prussia, took the lead in implementing an age-linked national pension system in 1889. at that time, prime minister bismarck set 70 years as the retirement age, while the average life span of prussians was only 45 years old. until 1916, the german empire lowered the retirement age to 65 during world war i, and the average postwar german lifespan was only 47.1 years. for nearly a century since then, the statutory retirement age in germany has remained unchanged, with 65 being thegradually becoming the reference standard for other countries.

since 1980, germany’s pension system has experienced declining returns and rising costs.gradually unsustainable.the government of the country has stipulated that starting from 2012, the retirement age for men and women will be gradually increased on a monthly basis to 67 years old in 2029. the government has also established a flexible system through cooperation with labor unions to meet the interests of all parties, including those with long working tenure, severe disabilities, and poor working conditions.

specifically, the earliest legal age for receiving pension is67years old, or working over40you can also retire at the age of 63 and enjoy full pension. in addition, people who have paid pensions for 35 years can also retire early, but the amount will be slightly reduced.67if you continue to work at your job after the age of 20 to use your spare time, you will have additional considerable income.

in addition to the basic pension insurance coordinated by the government, germany also has additional state-supported pension insurance: enterprise annuity and commercial pension insurance, both of which require payment20after retirement, you will have an extra income of several hundred euros per month, and you can participate in tax deductions.

a local person in germany told jiemian news,long-term adherence to the postponement policy is indeed beneficial to economic and social development.had a certain positive effect。the number of employed people aged 55-64 in the country increased from 62% in 2012 to 72% 10 years later, well above the eu average.

nowgermanythe average life expectancy is as high as 81 years. in 2010, on average, every four german workers supported one retiree, but 30 years later, only two will be left supporting one. 2022in 2016, the pension crisis reappeared. durger, chairman of the general association of german employers, warned that if reforms are not carried out, the pension system will collapse within five years.

friedrich wagner, 65, was engaged in medical care when he was young. he later entered the field of logistics engineering and obtained a doctorate. he now lives in bremen, a service industry and high-tech industrial base. he and his wife, who works in nursing, have two sons. the eldest son is married and the younger son is still in college.

two years ago, wagner, who worked as a project manager at daimler group, was asked to leave with a large compensation package or accept an expatriate assignment to an eastern european country. he finally chose to resign with compensation. over the next year, wagner squandered the compensation by traveling and financing his son's home purchase.

according to the law, he is entitled to receive a one-year "first-stage unemployment benefit", which is about 65% of his after-tax salary. in the second year, he can receive a "second-stage unemployment benefit", but the amount is reduced, and he needs to go to the labor bureau regularly. prove that you are actively looking for a job, otherwise you must attend a job interview recommended by the labor bureau.

considering his age and unwillingness to report to the labor bureau, wagner gave up the second phase of unemployment benefits. before being fired, his annual salary was approximately5.6around 10,000 euros, slightly higher than the german average. an employee whose wife is still engaged in nursing work in the hospital has an annual salary of about4around 10,000 euros. since the compensation has been exhausted, the family now relies on savings, income from fixed investment stocks and his wife's income.

wagner vs.jiemian news said: "as the demographic structure changes, there is no problem in reforming the pension system. everyone is responsible for their own retirement. "in the future, he plans to engage in a monthly income of450below euro, weekly10"part-time workers" who work for less than an hour and do not need to pay social security and income tax are not only to supplement family income, but also to pass the leisure time.

france: political minefield, class game

in another major core country of the european union, retirement reform centered on pensions is related to the game and interest trade-offs of all social classes.the life expectancy of the french population will reach 83.35 years in 2023. before the reform,the legal retirement age of 62 is also the lowest among the seven major industrialized countries, and the employment rate of people aged 60-64 is already lower than the european average. there are even discussions in french politics to lower the retirement age to 62.

in bruegelgraduate schooljacob funk kirkegaard, a senior policy researcher at the peterson institute for international economics, told jiemian news that the french regard retirement as a "social right." the main reason why reforms are difficult to promote is because of the huge differences among various groups. divides, especially interest groups such as the public sector, push hard to maintain the status quo.

french originaldual-track systemthe pension system can be divided into three pillars: basic pension insurance, supplementary pension insurance and commercial pension insurance.it not only has a basic system that covers all employees, but also has 42 special systems for farmers, railways, electric power, medical care and other industries, providing these employees with preferential measures such as short payment years, low retirement age, and relatively high benefits.

taking the paris mass transit company as an example, its employees can directly receive pensions when they retire at around the age of 55. the reference standard is the salary of the last 6 months before retirement, while the pension benchmark in the private sector is the 25 highest paid employees in their career. annual average.

during the first term,macron’s government is trying to reform the pension system. thatthe original intention of adjusting the gap between rich and poor and redistributing income is alsoit has received widespread support from the academic community. macron at the end of 2019the implementation of the unified point scheme for all people has touched the interests of the above-mentioned 42 occupational groups, triggering general strikes across france in public sectors such as transportation, education, and medical care.

macron’s grand vision was followed byinterrupted by the "yellow vest movement", the coronavirus, and the high-inflation crisis, he is increasingly seen as a cold and callous leader. multiple polls show that the vast majority of people do not believe the government's reforms are fair or effective.

macron, who has entered his second presidential term, strives to maintain his legacy in power, so in 2023earlyskip the national assembly vote,using article 49 of the constitutionthe pension reform bill was forced through.according to the new reform, starting from september 2023, the legal retirement age will be delayed by three months every year, with the ultimate goal of raising it from the current 62 years to 64 years old by 2030. the huge public sector mentioned above has become the group with the greatest losses.

after 2027, most workers will need to work for at least 43 years to receive full retirement benefits, which is one year longer than before.suitable for private and public sectors。if the conditions are not met, the worker will not be eligible to receive a full pension until he retires at the age of 67.but police, firefighters, prison guards,firefighters, customs officersearly retirement is still possible for common sector positions such as those engaged in physically or mentally demanding work.

the new bill guarantees that retirees’ minimum pension income will not be less than 85% of the minimum wage.in addition, in order to encourage childbirth, parents who have paid pensions for 43 years in the year before the legal retirement age (64 years old) will receive an additional bonus of 5% of their pensions.

the financial pressure brought about by pension expenses is also something that the macron government must consider.it is expected that france's fiscal deficit may increase to 17.2 billion euros by 2025. agence france-presse pointed out that if no measures are taken to control the public budget, france's deficit is expected to reach 6.2% of gdp next year, significantly exceeding the eu limit (3%).just took officeright wing republican partyprime minister barnier has even proposed raising taxes on wealthy households and large corporations.

in addition to civil resistance, the introduction of retirement reform also caused shock in the political circles. macronthe center camp has paid the price of losing its absolute majority in the national assembly. although the president enjoys privileges over other legislative bodies in france, macron's political power has been significantly weakened.

both the new people's front and the national alliance want the statutory retirement age to be restored to 62.many of the pensions of french civil servants are debt-financed. if macron's reforms are overturned in the future and the retirement age is lowered back to 62, it will cost about 16 billion euros in annual fiscal expenditures.

the national rally, led by far-right leader and "kingmaker" le pen, is trying to use public pressure to increase pressure on macron's new cabinet and overturn the pension reform. the two main unions representing the interests of railway workers have applied for a strike on october 1 and called on trade union groups across france to join, including teachers and doctors. the labor movement is a characteristic of france,now it has developed into a political right to advocate economic interests.。

publicstatistics show that french people go on strike for an average of 114 days a year, and they generally choose to strike during working days, which puts a lot of pressure on public life, especiallyservices such as rubbish collection, trains and flights, and electricity supply.

united states: advance deployment, multi-pillar support

compared with other developed countries, the united states faces relatively less aging pressure and its working-age population has remained at a stable level for a long time, so it is better positioned to adopt a gradual retirement plan.

capitalists can often feel crises in advance. they advocate delaying retirement and supporting personal retirement savings.68 years oldmicrosoftfounder bill gates recently said in an interview with the consumer news and business channel (cnbc) that he will continue to work full-time as long as his body allows. he also hopes to work for another 20 or 30 years like his old friend buffett. and 72-year-old blackstone group ceo larry fink was also therecalls on americans to survive the pension crisis by extending their working lives. he pointed out,retirement at age 65 is a relic of the ottoman empire and should be significantly increased.

the general background fink mentioned is the american “social security” system (Social Security) trust fund reserves will be exhausted in 2033, another year earlier than previously expected. retirement by thenthe monthly pension that personnel receive is only 75% of the current level. therefore, legislative officials in congress, especially republicans, have proposed raising the retirement age.

the current pension insurance system in the united states includes "social security" mandated by the government, pension plans independently funded by employers (including public and private), and employee individual retirement accounts. these three pillars complement each other and cover almost the entire employed population.tim hewson, a 70-year-old former teacher in illinois, told jiemian news that he paid pension contributions to the state’s education system for six and a half years before retiring, and the pension he now receives can basically meet the living expenses of their family of three. , those completely dependent on"social security"are mainly workers with poor financial conditions.

"social security" projectdating back to the last centuryafter the great depression. on august 14, 1935, then-president roosevelt signed the socialthe social security law provides social security for unemployed and poor elderly people. the prescribed retirement age is 65 years old for both men and women. at that time, the average life span of the country was 75 years old. currently more than 50 million people participate"social security", including not only retired employees and people with disabilities, but also their families.

in the late 1970s, the federal government"social security"funding gaps began to appear, and the balance of payments faced the risk of imbalance. 1983, at a distance"social security" fundwith only half a year to go, the u.s. congress finally passed the reform and introduced the retirement age adjustment act, which stipulated that the normal retirement age for employees would be raised from 65 to 67 by 2025, but it was not officially implemented until 2003. in 2003, the average life expectancy in the united states was 77.1 years. ‌‌

among western countries, the flexible retirement system of the united states is very representative. in addition to the legal age of 67, the united states also allows workers to retire early at the age of 62. those who have paid social security for 10 years in total can also receive 70% of their pension. in addition, those who actively delay retirement can also receive rewards. for example, a 70-year-old retiree can receive a full 30% reward of their pension.

with inflation high in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic,"social security"fund reserves are in crisis again after 41 years. at the same time,the life expectancy of the u.s. population has reached 79.74 years.further retirement reforms have been discussed.

some policy experts have proposed solutions that would not raise the retirement age, but would impact the benefits of millions of american workers. vermont independent senator sanderspropose cancellation"social security"cap on taxes, thus significantly increasing the fund's income and extending solvency.

senior policy researcher kirkegaard told jiemian news that the most valuable experience in the reform of the u.s. retirement system can be summarized as follows: reform should be carried out sooner rather than later, otherwisefiscal transfer payments, etc.the costs of redistribution will be very high; the retirement system can be fixed by cutting benefits, increasing taxes, and (or raising retirement ages/eligibility) to spread the pressure across society as widely as possible.

"if a country's existing retirement age is extremely low, then the only way to start is by raising the retirement age." kirkegaard said.

what does successful retirement policy reform look like?

in kirkgad's opinion，successful retirement reform should result in people staying in the labor force voluntarily, having age-appropriate jobs with flexible hours, and a friendly workplace environment, provided of course that there are adequate public pensions to support them. he specifically pointed out,the government should set a very early retirement age for heavy manual workers.

he believes that inwith the support of the world’s largest government pension fund (with assets of nearly 1.6 trillion us dollars),japan's retirement policy is relatively ideal. the country has the highest effective retirement age among oecd countries and almost the highest life expectancy in the world. most older workers are engaged in new jobs that are different from those in their youth: convenience store salespeople, taxi drivers, or other positions that do not require too much physical and mental stress. even ordinary farmers, they usually work for a lifetime, which raises the overall actual retirement age.

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even in developed countries, ageism and gender inequality are common problems.

in the 2022 survey, it was found that 64% of workers surveyed over the age of 50 revealed that they faced age discrimination in the workplace. 21% of respondents have experienced age discrimination since the age of 40. 90% support strengthening federal anti-age discrimination legislation.

south korea, which has entered a highly aging society, promulgated the "law on prohibiting age discrimination and promoting employment of the elderly" as early as 2007, which comprehensively prohibits companies from discriminating against older workers. however, so far,nearly half of south koreans over the age of 65 are still living in poverty because they do not have adequate pension security. the "miracle on the han river" did not benefit disadvantaged elderly groups with low education levels, especially women who bear the responsibility of taking care of their families. south koreabreaking low birthrate records year after year magnifies the severity of its aging population, while also requiring women to return to the family.

when talking about the topic of flexible retirement, martin l. levine, author of "age discrimination and the mandatory retirement controversy" and professor of law at the university of southern california, told jiemian news that legislators can also consider this when formulating policies. transfer payments between workers and retirees through household channels.

"when life expectancy reaches 80 or even 90 years, but workers still retire at 62, 63 or 65 years old. how will they spend the intervening decades?" yong suk lee, assistant professor of economics and global affairs at the university of notre dame he once issued this soul question, "unless they have personal savings or strong government pension support, most people will fall into poverty."

barbara judge, chairman of the british pensions protection foundation, summed up her policy philosophy as: work longer, save more, and expect less from others.