Application and implications of European Union's aging policies in occupational health

Abstract

China has entered a stage of deep aging. The expanding aging population and subsequently an aging labor force pose significant challenges to China’s social and economic development. European Union (EU) countries have entered the aging phase earlier and to a greater extent. To address the labor shortage and the rising dependency ratio, the EU has implemented a series of policies and measures, including raising retirement age, promoting flexible retirement, enhancing work flexibility, improving welfare for elderly workers, creating age-friendly environments, focusing on occupational health, strengthening knowledge and skills training, and leveraging digital technologies in the workplace. These measures aim to prevent premature exit of elderly workers, better balance their work and life needs, improve occupational health and skills, and enhance overall work efficiency of companies. This review discussed the experience and lessons learned from the EU countries in addressing the aging workforce from the perspectives of occupational health and occupational skills development, aiming to provide rational suggestions to assist China in better adapting the challenges of aging workforce after steadily and orderly advancing the gradual reform of the statutory retirement age, thereby improving the efficiency of the overall workforce and the stability of the labor market, driving the talent dividend of highly educated and skilled middle-aged and elderly employees, and ultimately promoting sustained economic and social development.

Keywords

• aging
• occupational health policy
• european union
• elderly human resource