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The decline of age-friendly jobs in China: Evidence from online job vacancies

Author

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  • Feng, Shuaizhang
  • Liu, Jieyi
  • Lu, Jingliang

Abstract

This study examines job age-friendliness in China's labor market, addressing the limited evidence on how job opportunities adapt to population aging. Using online job postings data from 2018 to 2023, we construct an Age-Friendliness Index (AFI) for occupations by applying natural language processing to measure textual similarity between occupation descriptions and age-friendly definitions. Our analysis reveals a declining trend in occupational age-friendliness, primarily driven by a shrinking share of age-friendly job vacancies. Furthermore, city-level age-friendliness is not correlated with demographic structure but is positively associated with a larger service sector share. These findings document the changing opportunities for older workers and underscore the urgency of promoting age-inclusive labor markets to sustain economic development in an aging society.

Suggested Citation

  • Feng, Shuaizhang & Liu, Jieyi & Lu, Jingliang, 2026. "The decline of age-friendly jobs in China: Evidence from online job vacancies," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecmode:v:155:y:2026:i:c:s0264999325003943
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econmod.2025.107399
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J11 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Demographic Trends, Macroeconomic Effects, and Forecasts
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J62 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Job, Occupational and Intergenerational Mobility; Promotion

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