Research on the Effects of re-employment on Active Healthy Aging in China

Abstract With the rapid development in China, the population aged over 60 has exceeded 290 million in China. It’s an important group that cannot be ignored in society. A proportion of them choose to re-enter the workforce after retirement. What is the impact of re-employment of the elderly on Active Healthy Aging (AHA)? There is an urgent need to establish metrics for measuring Active Healthy Aging (AHA) and to understand the willingness of Chinese elderly individuals to re-enter the workforce. These efforts aim to provide a solid theoretical foundation for promoting healthy aging in China. Building on the latest definitions from the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding healthy aging, this article utilizes data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) database and macroeconomic data from provincial-level statistics in China. Employing the entropy method, a framework for Active Healthy Aging Indicators (AHAI) is constructed, comprising three primary indicators, 14 secondary indicators, and 50 tertiary indicators. Through an analysis based on this indicator framework, the total effect, mechanism effect, endogeneity, and heterogeneity of re-employment on healthy aging are examined. The following conclusions are drawn: Firstly, according to entropy method calculations, the level of healthy aging in China is relatively low and exhibits an east-west disparity, necessitating immediate improvements. Secondly, re-employment positively influences healthy aging, a relationship confirmed through robustness tests. Thirdly, investigating the mechanism effect with income as a mediating variable reveals that re-employment leads to increased income, consequently promoting improvements in healthy aging indicators. Fourthly, heterogeneous analysis across different age groups indicates that re-employment positively impacts healthy aging among individuals aged 45-65, while for those aged 65-75, it has a negative effect. Additionally, significant urban-rural disparities exist in the relationship between re-employment and healthy aging. The findings of this study provide a theoretical foundation for the development of indicators related to healthy aging in China and globally. Furthermore, they offer valuable policy recommendations for advancing retirement delay policies, advocating for healthy aging awareness, improving the healthy aging service environment, and encouraging elderly participation in public services and social activities.