China’s senior-care sector: promising job growth clashes with young workers’ reluctance
Amid booming opportunities in the care economy as China’s population gets older, new graduates express concerns over low wages and unfamiliarity with the field
As China rapidly ages, the senior-care sector is poised to become a significant source of job creation. Yet, enthusiasm among the nation’s young workforce remains lukewarm.
The care-services industry, including care for elderly residents, is projected to generate millions of jobs and become a driver of household consumption in the years to come, as national demographics shift towards an older population, according to He Dan, director of the China Population and Development Research Centre under the National Health Commission.
While this development is promising for a labour market facing pressures, young graduates are often hesitant to pursue careers in this field.
Tiana Zhang, a fresh accounting graduate from Shandong province, has been searching for a job for six months. And while she admits to being open to looking beyond her major, she says senior care is not on her list.
“I don’t know enough about the field, and the salaries for the postings I’ve seen are relatively low,” she said, referring to job openings at homes for the elderly that offer between 4,000 yuan (US$563) and 5,000 yuan a month – compensation that she said did not reflect the job’s demands.
The number of disabled seniors in China is expected to rise from roughly 19 million in 2020 to more than 34 million in 2035, according to He Dan at the research centre. She was speaking to CCTV earlier this month during the China Population and Development Forum in Beijing.