China has rolled out measures to strengthen its home services industry, in response to demands of its ageing population, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) says.
The ministry said on Monday that it had in collaboration with relevant departments, offered tax incentives, start-up subsidies and financial assistance to enhance the industry’s quality and growth.
MOC official, Zhu Guangyao at a news conference said that China’s home services industry employed around 30 million people, yet the industry’s demand exceeded 50 million.
“Efforts are thereby underway to increase the workforce. For instance, the ministry is encouraging job fairs to go online to better connect job seekers with potential employers, and for training courses to be run online,’’ he said.
Guangyao added that employment would increasingly focus on home-based elderly care to meet the rising demand.
“China has previously released a guideline to strengthen the “silver” economy, which incorporates economic activities that cater to senior citizens with tailored products and services, and prepare for the challenges of an ageing population.
“Official data showed that China’s population aged 60 and above had reached 297 million by the end of 2023, accounting for 21.1 per cent of the country’s total population
