A new study from Yale University reveals that when it comes to early retirement, women in China working hands-on jobs feel the mental effects more than those in office roles.
The study, though focused on China, could offer insights for other countries worried about the costs of healthcare for older folks who retire early.
Major change
Retirement is a big change that can seriously affect someone’s life. For some, it means slowing down and enjoying more free time. But for others, it brings stress and worries about money and healthcare.
This study looked at how retirement affects the mental health of women in China and their need for hospital care. It checked out the differences between women doing hands-on jobs, like working in factories or trade, and those doing office jobs.
In China, different jobs have different ages when women have to retire. Women doing hands-on jobs retire at 50, while those in offices usually keep working until 55.
Health changes
The researchers looked at hospital records just before and after these retirement ages. For women in hands-on jobs, there was a noticeable increase in hospital admissions for mental health issues, like anxiety and depression, after they retired at 50. But for women in office jobs who retired at 55, there was no similar increase.
The study also found that retired women in hands-on jobs ended up in the emergency room more often for mental health problems after turning 50. There was a 16.6% increase in ER visits for urgent mental health issues in this group. Again, no similar increase was seen in retired office workers.
“The reasons blue-collar women experience worse mental health after retiring are still unclear,” the researchers explain. “But it could be that job loss itself and lower incomes may hit these manual laborers harder psychologically and financially than their white-collar counterparts. Blue-collar workers also tend to have fewer resources to adapt to major life changes.”
When to retire
The study suggests that China’s rules about when people should retire impact women in various jobs in distinct ways. To fully understand the best age to retire and create more adaptable retirement plans, we need more research, especially as populations age quickly.
“Earlier support targeting at-risk, blue-collar females could help them transition out of the workforce more smoothly, including improving their mental preparation,” the authors continue.
China, with its largest and rapidly growing aging population, is grappling with significant economic strains on its pension and healthcare systems, as highlighted by Ruochen Sun, one of the study’s co-lead authors.
Retirement plans
The current retirement age policy in China, based on occupations, was put in place in the 1950s when life expectancy was around 43 years. Now, with approximately 20 million new retirees entering Chinese society each year, there’s a pressing need for adjustments.
The study’s findings underscore the importance of considering employees’ mental health in retirement planning alongside financial considerations. To address the strains on China’s ability to care for its aging population, enhancing wages and benefits for low-income, blue-collar female workers and assisting them in better preparing for retirement at age 50 could prove beneficial, offering valuable insights for policymakers in China.
The study concentrated on the health effects of retiring early, specifically looking at female workers in China. As the legal retirement age for male workers in China is 60, this study didn’t include them.
Even though the research was specific to female workers in China, the researchers believe that the results can provide valuable insights for policymakers in other countries, both developing and developed. This is particularly relevant for those facing rising life expectancy among workers, a growing elderly population, and worries about the financial stability of retirees.
