Life pressure

The reemployment rate of the elderly is anywhere between 13 percent to 18 percent in most Chinese cities, according to Hao Maishou, gerontologist at the Tianjin Academy of Social Science.

While some are continuing their career dreams based upon a fat pension, the majority are toiling under the whip of financial pressure, said Hao.

Lin Aiguo, 63, said he used to do carpentry and other manual work in Guiyang before his becoming frail forced him into selling newspapers on the street.

"I receive no pension, and since no one would like to hire me, I have to be self-employed to earn a living," said Lin.

Experts say many urban workers in self and flexible employment are not participating in basic old-age insurance, while low pension payments also leaves some retired workers uneasy about their financial conditions after retirement.

Further, the situation will be exacerbated as the parents of the country's first "only child" generation reach old age.

"An 'only son or daughter' couple has four aging parents to feed, which will place a huge burden on their finances," said Xia Haiyong, head of the Population Research Institute at Nanjing University.

Though traditional Chinese cultures preach about raising a child for providing security in old age, Xia said many aged parents now have gone back to work to lighten the burden on their children.

The real problem, however, is that, as some experts point out, China has not prepared itself for this new challenge.

Tan Jing, a lawyer at the Guangzhou Human Resource Manager Institute, said the protection of seniors' rights in the job market remained a legal blank.

"Retirees are excluded from the current labor laws in China, and they would have problems safeguarding their rights," said Tan.

Others have also called for more 'elderly-friendly' services, such as childcare and youth training, to accommodate senior jobseekers.

"The elderly participation in the job market will be a trend as society ages, and China needs to adjust its thinking and laws to face up to the challenge," said Hao Maishou.