Zhang Hai'e, 53, an amteur model, practises catwalk moves with her partners from Luoyang college for senior citizens in Henan province. Women can enjoy a colorful life after retirement. [Photo / China Daily]

More or fewer jobs?

Many countries have pushed back their retirement ages to cope with an aging population and the lack of labor supply. China's population is getting older, too, but some sociologists argue the country's work force is already more than sufficient.

According to Tang Jun's calculations, 20 million people enter the non-farming work force each year, but they compete for only 10 million open jobs. "So the longer seniors remain in their positions, the less room there is for the young."

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"The unemployment rate of college graduates in 2009 was 13 percent. If the figure grows higher, social stability will be threatened."

Fan Ming, director of Henan University of Economics and Law's institute of market economy, has a different view.

China's 2000 census found that one-third of pensioners were re-employed at new jobs, Fan said, "and the actual figure might be 76 percent, so no so-called vacancies will be left because of retirement. In other words, delayed retirement doesn't influence the employment rate".

He compared retirement ages and unemployment rates for 91 countries and regions in 2009, and found that countries with higher retirement ages also had better employment rates.

Fan also said that when people start taking a pension, which is almost half of their working income, their spending power decreases and, with it, their demand for consumer goods. When fewer products are sold, factory orders decline and the demand for labor decreases. The longer people stay in the work force, Fan said, the longer they sustain the need for labor.

"So taking the long view, we believe increasing the retirement age will help improve the employment situation rather than worsen it," Fan said.