The Study Of Incremental Delay Retirement Problem In China

Recently, retiring age issue has drawn much attention and became the research focus in the academic field. As the delaying retirement issue was put on the policy agenda, it has once again received warm discussion. Delaying retirement is a social problem involving retirement pension, employment, social security, and so forth. It indeed affects the whole society, and a comprehensive consideration of various factors is needed. Therefore, the government has maintained a cautious attitude toward delaying retirement age. For the past several years the topic of delaying retirement has been controversial. Whenever there are discussions about retirement pension reform, this topic will inevitably be placed at the center of public attention. And delaying the retirement age has become a shared concern globally. With the problem of aging in our country, the social retirement pension issue has become increasingly prominent. In terms of retirement pension, both the government and society are under tremendous pressure. In China, the statutory retirement age was established in the 1950s, and the related provisions have been in use until today, basically unchanged.In addition, our statutory retirement age is relatively early compared with the world average level. On the other hand, the increasing of people’s living standards, level of health care and life expectancy all provide the possibility of delaying retirement. A relatively early retirement age is clearly outdated and delaying the retirement age is inevitable.Although delaying retirement is an inevitable trend in line with China’s economic development and social development, it is undeniable that the design and implementation of this system still has some difficulties in practice. Therefore, delaying retirement age was put on the political agenda at the Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee. Progressively delaying retirement is a process which requires analyzing the current Chinese population structure, employment and social security structures comprehensively. Therefore, this paper examines thoroughly the progressive delay of retirement based on the above observation. The logic of this paper is as follows:first, the author analyzes several relevant concepts (including retirement, the statutory retirement age, delaying retirement and progressively delaying retirement) and related theories (including life-cycle theory, equity and justiee, system change theory and path-dependence theory) in order to explore the theory basis of delaying retirement age. Second, the author lists the policies related to retirement age since the founding of PRC, summarizes our current retirement age policy and its historical background, and analyzes the problems of current retirement age policies. Third, this paper points out the practical basis for progressive delaying retirement, which includes two aspects, the first being the practical needs of delayed retirement, the second being the reason for a progressive approach based on the objections to delaying retirement. This paper also discusses foreign cases as a reference for our country. Their plight of delaying retirement reforms also provide important evidences for our progressive delaying retirement. Last, this paper explores the system design of our progressive delaying retirement on account of the objectives and principles of progressive delaying retirement. This paper uses the most updated theories and research outcomes from CNKI and Wangfang data, collects and summarizes some of the latest data, and uses various methods such as SPSS statistical analysis and qualitative analysis.Originality of this paper is reflected in the following respects:first, its thesis centers on progressive retirement. The paper systematically explains the meaning and significance of progressive delaying retirement, and discusses the plan for progressive delaying retirement. Second, when discussing the basis of progressive delaying retirement, this paper first introduces institution change theory and explores two aspects, one being institution innovation or how to generate new institutional arrangements, the second being the transitional arrangements between old and new systems. Moreover, this paper thoroughly examines the basis of progressively delaying retirement policy. Therefore, this paper analyzes the theoretical and practical basis of progressive delaying management, and discusses the current enormous resistance China faces, and regards progressive delaying retirement as the best choice for now, because it suits China’s specific conditions the most. This paper also provides some reference for the implementation of progressive delaying retirement policies by analyzing foreign experiences and lessons. This paper is unique because in stead of discussing the necessity and feasibility of delaying retirement when it is put on the policy agenda, it responds to the policy by investigating the progressive approach and exploring the system design of progressive delaying retirement.This paper concludes that we should progressively reform our retirement system. The progressive approach is the most consistent with the status quo of our country and the law of development. Delaying retirement should take people as the primary concern, stick to the principles of fairness and justice, follow small steps, take the progressive approach, solicit public opinion, emphasize the convergence of the old and new systems, speed up the reform of supporting policies, and give people notice in advance and a period to adjust to the new policy. In the progressive process of the implementation of delaying retirement, concrete results in the pilot investigation should be considered and adjustment made. Overnight and coherent reform is not suggested.