Life of Guangzhou - Guangzhou Reaps Labor Force Bonus

The current "bonus period" of the city's population cycle has been a key factor in its economic development, an official said yesterday.

A bonus period is defined as when a city's workforce is larger than its non-working population, such as children and retirees.

Liang Hanxue, a demography expert with the statistics bureau, said yesterday: "This positive population structure has helped boost development.

"Migrant workers make up a large part of Guangzhou's labor force and have helped create the bonus period."

As of the end of last year, for every 100 workers in Guangzhou there were 32 non-workers, a report on the city's population structure released by the city's statistics bureau on Tuesday, said.

The population was about 10 million at the end last year, of which 2.3 million were nonpermanent residents. More than 90 percent of those were migrant workers, almost all of whom were employed, the report said.

The working population will stop growing by about 2013, Liang said, and by 2034, it will be smaller than the non-working population.

At that time, Guangzhou's population cycle will be in a "debt period", he said.

The bulk of the current labor force was born during the baby boom of 1950-65, so many of them will reach retirement age in about 20 years, he said.

City authorities should ease restrictions on the application process for permanent residency, so more people are attracted to settle and work in the city, Liang said.

The economic achievements of the current bonus period will help offset the downturn to come during the debt period, he said.

(By Liang Qiwen)

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