Market Feasibility of Senior-Provided Childcare Meeting Gen-Z Families in Central China: Causal Evidence from Young-Old Reemployment Initiatives
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: China's dual demographic pressures—a rapidly aging population and fertility rates below replacement levels—pose systemic risks to labor markets and intergenerational equity. Leveraging survey data from 4,147 Gen-Z families and 3,251 young-old (60–69 years) individuals in central China, this study evaluates the feasibility of integrating elderly labor into childcare markets to address both elderly underemployment and youth parenting costs. Employing ordinal logistic regression and sharp regression discontinuity (RD) designs, we find that familiarity with elderly-provided childcare services significantly boosts demand among young families (coefficient: 2.074 for married households) and reemployment willingness among the young-old (log-odds: +0.768 per familiarity unit). However, information asymmetry persists: 88.5% of youth lack awareness of service specifics, while income thresholds (¥10,500/month) sharply divide adoption rates (RD coefficient: 0.284, ). Policy simulations suggest that structured interventions—training programs, income-linked subsidies, and certification systems—could align preferences, as 54% of families express openness to professional caregiving. These findings demonstrate lifecycle-stage complementarity, challenging assumptions of generational competition, and offer scalable solutions for aging economies globally.
Author: Hanhui Song
Institution: Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4409543896