Living arrangements of the elderly in China: evidence from the CHARLS national baseline

Declining fertility in China has raised concerns about elderly support, especially when public support is inadequate. Using rich information from the nationally representative China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) baseline survey, we describe the patterns of current living arrangements of the Chinese elderly and investigate their determinants and correlation with intergenerational transfers. We find that roughly 41% of Chinese aged 60 and over live with an adult child; living with a male adult child being strongly preferred. However another 34% have an adult child living in the same immediate neighborhood and 14% in the same county; only 5% have an adult child with none of them living in the same county. At the same time, a large fraction of the elderly, 45% in our sample, live alone or with only a spouse. In general, women, those from western provinces, and those from rural areas are more likely to live with or close to their adult children than their corresponding counterparts, but different types of intergenerational transfers play a supplementary role in the unequal distribution of living arrangements. Among non-co-resident children, those living close by visit their parents more frequently and have more communications by other means. In contrast, children who live farther away are more likely to send financial and in-kind transfers and send larger amounts.     

Children's Migration Decisions and Elderly Support in China: Evidences from CHARLS Pilot Data

The purpose of this paper is to explain the determinants of migration in China with special concern for elderly support based on evidences from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) pilot data. We find parents’ needs for care significantly affect adult children’s participation in migrant labor market. Joint family decisions have also been made among adult siblings as far as elderly support is concerned. Different patterns of migrant labor force participation in Zhejiang and Gansu provinces largely reflect the differences between their respective migrant labor markets. Understanding of these new patterns of China’s internal migration helps policy makers in China and other developing counties formulate effective social policies, and consequently, a more appropriate urbanization path.     

健康冲击对农户民间借贷参与的影响——来自于CHARLS数据的经验证据

基于中国健康与养老追踪调查(CHARLS)2013年全国25个省份6220个农户家庭层面的样本,并运用Logit模型实证分析健康冲击对农户参与民间借贷的影响。实证结果表明:第一,不同类型的健康冲击对农户参与民间借贷的影响不同。慢性健康冲击变量对农户民间借贷参与的影响不显著,而急性健康冲击变量对农户参与民间借贷有着显著的正向影响。第二,不同健康冲击对农户民间借贷参与的影响存在年龄与婚姻状况差异。在年龄差异方面,慢性健康冲击对老年农户与中年农户参与民间借贷的影响均不显著,而急性健康冲击对中年农户参与民间借贷有着显著的正向影响,但对老年农户的影响不显著。在婚姻状况差异方面,慢性健康冲击对非婚状况与已婚状况的农户参与民间借贷的影响都不显著,而急性健康冲击对非婚状况的农户参与民间借贷没有显著影响,对已婚状况的农户参与民间借贷有着显著的正向影响。     

隔代照料对老年人健康状况的影响——基于CHARLS的实证研究

"421"型家庭结构的涌现和人口老龄化进程的加快使隔代照料成为目前我国家庭照料的一种重要形式。但是作为隔代照料提供者的老年人,他们的健康状况却经常被忽视。本文试图通过使用2013年中国健康与养老追踪调查(CHARLS)数据,运用STATA数据分析方法,研究提供隔代照料与不提供隔代照料的老年人在日常活动能力障碍、自评健康状况和心理健康状况三方面的不同。研究结果发现,提供隔代照料对老年人的日常活动能力障碍、自评健康状况、心理健康状况三方面均产生了负面影响。     

养老保障是否会减少农民劳动供给——基于CHARLS数据的研究

[目的]在我国农民工劳动力供给紧张和农村劳动力短缺的背景下,养老保障对农民劳动供给的影响是一个值得关注的问题,通过运用"中国健康与养老追踪调査"(CHARLS)调研数据分析养老保障对农民群体劳动供给时间的影响。[方法]根据2013年CHARLS数据,运用Tobit模型研究分析了我国农村养老保障对农民群体每周和每年劳动供给时间的影响。[结果]养老保障可以降低农民每周的劳动时间,但对全年的总劳动时间影响不显著。其中:(1)根据年龄,养老保障可以降低老年农民的劳动时间,对中青年农民的影响不显著;(2)根据性别,养老保障可以降低男性农民的劳动时间,对女性农民的影响不显著。[结论]养老保障减少农民每周的劳动时间,降低了农民劳动的时间密集度,尤其对老年农民的短期劳动供给影响非常明显。众所周知为了促进我国经济更有效率地发展,关键要提高农民劳动的供给结构和效率而不仅仅增加供给时间。养老保障减轻了农民的心理负担,理性的农民会降低劳动时间或者将劳动平均分配到更长的时间段进而改善健康。出于改善农民生活和提高幸福指数的角度考虑,建议加强农村社会保障的建设,减轻农民劳作负担。