In response to the demands of its aging population, China has implemented measures to strengthen its home services industry, as announced by the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) on Monday.
The ministry, in collaboration with relevant departments, has introduced tax incentives, start-up subsidies, and financial assistance to improve the industry’s quality and foster its growth. According to Zhu Guangyao, an official from the MOC, China’s home services industry employs approximately 30 million people, yet the demand exceeds 50 million.
Efforts are underway to increase the workforce, with initiatives such as encouraging online job fairs to better connect job seekers with potential employers and conducting training courses online, Guangyao stated. He added that employment focus would increasingly shift toward home-based elderly care to meet the rising demand.
China had previously released a guideline to strengthen the “silver” economy, which encompasses economic activities tailored to senior citizens with specific products and services, preparing for the challenges posed by an aging population. Official data indicates that China’s population aged 60 and above reached 297 million by the end of 2023, constituting 21.1 percent of the country’s total population.