BEIJING—At 53, Guan Junling is too old to get hired at factories anymore. But for migrant workers like her, not working is not an option. For decades, they have come from farming villages to find work in the cities.
BEIJING—At 53, Guan Junling is too old to get hired at factories anymore. But for migrant workers like her, not working is not an option.
She now relies on housecleaning gigs, working long days to squirrel away a little money in case of a health emergency. Migrant workers can get subsidized health care in their hometowns, but they have little or no coverage elsewhere. If Guan needs to go to hospital in Beijing, she has to pay out of pocket.
“For young people, of course, you can still find a job, positions are available, though the wage is not high enough,” said Zhang Chenggang of Beijing’s Capital University of Economics and Business, where he directs a center researching new forms of employment. He said he was fired from a job delivering packages because of his age about three years ago, when he reached 55. In December, he was earning 260 yuan a day installing cables at construction sites.
She works seven days a week, partly because she’s afraid labor agencies won’t call again if she turns an offer down. Lu Guoquan, a trade union official, has proposed relaxing age limits for jobs, judging workers by their physical condition instead of their age and making it easier for older people to find work through labor markets and online platforms.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
China protests EU’s investigation of subsidies in green industries, calling move protectionist | Ken MoritsuguBEIJING—China has accused the European Union of protectionism and “reckless distortion” of the definition of subsidies in response to a new EU investigation into Chinese wind turbine makers.
Read more »
US will push China to change policy that threatens American jobs–Yellen | Fatima Hussein & Ken MoritsuguBEIJING—The Biden administration will push China to change an industrial policy that poses a threat to US jobs, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday after wrapping up four days of talks with Chinese officials.
Read more »
Australia, Britain call out China for Hong Kong, South China Sea and Russia supportThe two countries called out 'recent unsafe and destabilizing behavior by China's vessels against Philippine vessels and crew near Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea,' in a statement that contains unusually direct language on Beijing's activities in the...
Read more »
China tells US: Don’t take sides on South China Sea rowThe United States should not instigate trouble in the South China Sea or take sides on the issue, the Chinese embassy said yest
Read more »
China says US has 'no right' to interfere in South China SeaChina said Tuesday the United States had 'no right' to interfere in the South China Sea, after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington stood by its commitments to defend the Philippines against armed attack in the disputed waterway.
Read more »