Transcript No Slide Title

Adding Life to Retirement Years
by
The Hon. Tam Yiu Chung
Chairman, Elderly Commission
15 February 2003
Topics:
• Background and Introduction
• Contribution of Older Persons to Society
• Retirement Age
• Senior Volunteerism
• Preparation for Retirement
• Intergenerational Relationship and
Continuing Education
• Way Forward
Age Structure of Population
Population
(millions)
10.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Aged 0 - 14
Aged 15-64
11.9% 12.2%
11.2%
10.2%
1996
2001
2006
2011
Aged 65 and over
14.4% 17.2%
2016
2021
21% 24.3%
2026
Source: Census and Statistics Department
2031
人口金字塔
Population Pyramid
年齡組別
Age group
85+
二零零一年年中
(基準)
Mid-2001
(Base)
男性
Male
女性
Female
80-84
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
10-14
5-9
0-4
400 300 200 100
0
100 200 300 400
千人
Thousand persons
二零一六年年中
Mid-2016
年齡組別
Age group
85+
80-84
男性
Male
二零三一年年中
Mid-2031
年齡組別
Age group
85+
女性
Female
80-84
75-79
70-74
75-79
70-74
65-69
60-64
55-59
65-69
50-54
45-49
40-44
50-54
45-49
40-44
35-39
35-39
30-34
25-29
30-34
25-29
20-24
15-19
20-24
15-19
10-14
10-14
5-9
5-9
0-4
0-4
男性
Male
女性
Female
60-64
55-59
400 300 200 100
0
100 200 300 400
千人
Thousand persons
外籍家庭傭工
Foreign domestic helpers
400
300
200
100
0
100
200
300
400
千人
Thousand persons
Source: Census and Statistics Department
Population Ageing is first and foremost a
success story for public health policies as
well as social and economic
development…
Gro Harlem Brundtland, WHO Director General
Elderly Commission: Symposium on “Challenges and
Opportunities of an Ageing Population” 8 June 2002
• first of its kind in Hong Kong, a multi-sectoral
and multi-disciplinary approach to discuss the
implications of population ageing
Elderly Commission: Symposium on “Challenges and
Opportunities of an Ageing Population” 8 June 2002
• policy framework for an ageing society
• economic and business perspectives of
population ageing
• public perception of ageing
• changing workforce and concept of retirement
• built environment
• changing healthcare focus
Contribution of older persons to society
Elderly Dependency Ratio
• the number of persons aged 65 and over per 1,000
persons aged between 15 and 64
• people in the age group of 15 to 64 years old
support persons aged 65 or over
• assumption: as population ages, fewer workers to
support more older persons
But the question is:
are societal wealth and productivity only
generated by persons in the age group of 15
to 64?
The fact is, older persons are going to be:
• more healthy
• better educated
and will aspire to play a different role in society
……not so long ago, “a report of the League of
Nations, in anticipation of post World War II
labour requirements, described population aging as
a major problem for industrial economies where
maximum productivity was thought to be reached
by ‘men under 35’…
Research shows:
• older workers are usually willing and
enthusiastic about learning new skills
• older workers can learn, although
training techniques may need to be adapted
• lower absenteeism and staff turnover
among older workers
Research shows:
•
initial cognitive functioning of most individuals
is higher than that needed for most ordinary
tasks
•
older persons are still fit to work at 75 years of
age with their IQ and EQ intact
•
while some older workers may be less flexible
and adaptable, they are more reliable,
conscientious, and loyal
Employment of older people can be a very positive
socio-economic factor. Older workers:
•
continue to pay taxes
•
contribute to retirement fund schemes
•
generate wealth for themselves and society
Being employed enhance personal dignity and keep
people out of poverty.
Retirement Age
“Retirement age” came into being in about 1889
• at the time the average life expectancy
was 55 years
• manual labour was the norm
• life in retirement was much shorter
Today Hong Kong’s average life expectancy
for men and women are 78.4 and 84.6 years
respectively:
• with people living longer, healthier lives,
can we afford to spend less time working
and ever more time in retirement?
Retirement Age in
• USA - being gradually raised to 67 years
• Japan – 69 years
• Korea - 67 years
Flexible or part-time work arrangements for
older persons • would not block the advancement of younger
workers, while retaining valuable insight and
expertise for the employer
• likely to become a necessity as the population ages
• a study has shown that “late retirees” who retired
after the age of 65 tended to die within two years
after retirement (Sing Lin, Ph.D, Mar 2002 “Optimum
Strategies for Creativity and Longevity” )
• but other studies also show that people who retire
earlier also die earlier
• important message is that we should all take
care of our health, have proper leisure and
relaxation throughout life
• people should be given a choice as to whether
or not to retire, or to continue working parttime
Change society’s attitude towards retirement
and retirement practices • consider how employment practices could be
reinvented so that older persons can continue
working to the benefit of the employers,
themselves and society at large
Labour Force Participation Rate
70
64.3
62.8
61.4
60
percentage
50
40
30
20
14.1
9.8
7.2
10
0
1991
1996
Older Persons
2001
Whole Population
Senior Volunteerism
Apart from paid employment, older persons can
still make positive and productive contribution to
society through volunteer work.
Senior Volunteerism
• over 200 000 volunteers, many of them are older persons,
in non-governmental sector
• 12 000 elder volunteers in Social Welfare Department’s
Senior Volunteer Programme
• 1 000 elder health ambassadors in Elderly Commission’s
Community Partnership Scheme projects
• the contribution of volunteer work are estimated at
between 8% and 14% of Gross Domestic Product
• consider ways to recognize the value of voluntary
work by older persons in Hong Kong
Volunteering as a broader community investment
strategy and means of staff development
•
•
•
•
time-off with pay for their staff
financial support or assistance in kind
company volunteering schemes
recognize and support existing staff involvement
with voluntary organizations
• Opportunities for retiree professionals to share
their experience and serve the community in
sectors that are usually not involved in ageing
related issues
Preparation for Retirement
• exit programmes for retiring employees for active
and healthy ageing
• healthy and active retirees lessen demands on
public medical and social services
• generate business opportunities: investment
management, travel services, health products, etc.
• Intergenerational Relationship
• Continuing Education
• Reinvest in Ageing
Decrease in average household size and
Increase in households with persons 65+
160000
140000
3.45
3.4
3.4
136298
3.35
120000
3.3
3.3
111275
100000
3.25
86508
80000
3.2
3.15
60000
3.1
3.1
40000
3.05
20000
3
0
2.95
1991
1996
households with persons 65+
2001
average domestic household size
Intergenerational Gap
• growing segregation of the older and younger
generations in the domestic setting
• the chasm made greater with the digital gap
• dwindling interaction between different age
groups
• deterioration in the younger generation’s
perception of older people
Continuing Education
• older persons pursue lifelong learning –
update themselves and keep up with technological
advances in every day living
• self-enrichment –
reconstruct the image of ageing and improve
intergenerational connectivity
Reinvest in Ageing
• compartmentalized life course:
- education when young
- work in adulthood
- leisure after retirement
Reinvest in Ageing
• integrated life courselifelong learning interspersed with periods of work
and leisure and self-reflection
• promotion of lifelong learning among eldersjoint process of individuals, families, communities
and Government
Elderly Commission
• advocate preventive and life-course approach
in health and positive image of ageing in the
Healthy Ageing Campaign
• promote active and healthy ageing according
to the World Health Organization Policy
Framework on Active Ageing
Initiatives to be considered
• rethinking retirement and human resources
practices
• review volunteering activities for older persons
and explore new opportunities
Initiatives to be considered
• demonstration projects in cultural, arts and
sports arena to highlight the abilities of active,
healthy and creative older persons
• encourage lifelong learning programmes and
promote intersectoral collaboration in the
provision of lifelong learning opportunities for
older persons
• The challenge:
– to socially evolve in a forward-looking,
sustainable manner
– add life to years after adding years to life
– transition into a satisfying retirement in old age
– a win-win situation for older persons and the
rest of society
Thank you!