Ella Lei expresses concern over employment opportunities for older adults

Lawmaker Ella Lei is concerned about the limited job opportunities available to middle-aged and older adults in Macau.

In a written inquiry to the government, Lei pointed out that existing forecasts indicate Macau will enter the range of an “ultra-aged society” by 2036, a time when the percentage of people aged 65 or older will exceed 20%.

She remarked that, although statistics showed this percentage to be 14% at the end of last year, it is expected to grow even more in the coming year.

At the same time, she claimed that there are no protections or guarantees in place to safeguard the right to work for this critical segment of the population.

“According to the authorities’ employment data, in the first quarter of 2025, the employed population aged 55 to 64 was approximately 48,000, with a labor force participation rate of 58.8%; meanwhile, the employed population aged 65 and above was 12,600, with a labor force participation rate of 13.1%,” she wrote.

“There were 900 employed individuals aged 55 or above who were underemployed; last year, a total of 24,200 people in Macau worked fewer than 35 hours per week due to personal reasons, with 9,700 indicating they could consider increasing their working hours,” the lawmaker added.

“Macau society will face a series of challenges, and the Macau Special Administrative Region government must not only prioritize systemic work in healthcare, social services, and elderly care support, but also implement specific policy measures to assist middle-aged and older individuals, as well as eligible elderly residents, in securing employment.”

She noted that many middle-aged and older individuals in Macau, after being laid off by companies or retiring early – despite still possessing the ability and willingness to work – face difficulties in re-employment due to factors such as being deemed too old, needing to re-adapt and acquire new skills, and the lack of employment matching platforms.

She urged the authorities to “formulate policies and measures to incentivize and assist middle-aged and older individuals in finding employment, such as organizing relevant retraining programs, creating positions suitable for middle-aged and older individuals, and strengthening the development of lifelong learning platforms.”