CSSN-Urbanization driving changes to labor force, families

Urbanization driving changes to labor force, families

Author : Zhu Yi, Huang Shan Source : Chinese Social Sciences Today 2014-09-26

A symposium themed “Economic Development and Family Change amid Urbanization” was held in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, on September 12. Zhang Juwei, deputy director and a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Population and Labor Economics, said that rapid urbanization has posed challenges to China’s labor market and aging population. Scholars at the symposium held that urbanization has spearheaded radical changes to the family structure, which has subsequently impacted society. The national family planning policy has led to smaller families compared to previous generations, scholars noted, saying society has faced at increased burden due to the rapidly aging population. Society should take greater responsibility in caring for the elderly to minimize their dependence on family members.

The Chinese version appeared in Chinese Social Sciences Today, No. 650, Sep 17, 2014.

Translated by Du Mei

Revised by Tom Fearon

Editor: Yu Hui