Retire at 60? Don’t force it ... why we need Hong Kong’s ageing population to keep working
Nearly one in three people in Hong Kong will be aged 65 or over in two decades’ time, while the city is on track to lose 14 per cent of its labour force over the next 50 years
“Working makes me feel I’m still valued,” said Wong Siu-ying, who at 87 years of age is working as a cleaner, relishing the active job which she says keeps her physically strong and mentally fresh.
“It not only helps me earn a living without relying on my children and the government, but it also enables me to carry on as a part of society.”
Wong is among thousands of older Hongkongers challenging traditional ideas about the “proper age” to leave work.
And in Hong Kong, with a large ageing population poised to create unprecedented demands on the public purse, this is a big issue.
Government statistics show that nearly one in three people in Hong Kong will be aged 65 or over in two decades’ time, while the city is on track to lose 14 per cent of its labour force over the next 50 years.
Earlier this month, a public policy expert at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology said the government should see the “silver population” as a new force to contribute to the economy in a bid to alleviate problems these demographic shifts would cause.