数字经济时代的“老有所为”——互联网使用与老年人劳动供给

The Elderly Action in the Digital Economy:Internet Use and the Labor Supply of the Elderly

在我国数字经济飞速发展和人口老龄化不断加深的背景下,互联网使用为促进老年人劳动供给提供了新的契机。基于中国健康与养老追踪调查数据,应用就业选择方程和工作时间方程考察互联网使用对老年人劳动供给的影响。研究结果表明:互联网使用促进了老年人就业水平的显著提升,并导致工作时间显著缩短;互联网使用促进就业水平的提升足以补偿工作时间的缩短,导致老年人劳动供给明显增加。互联网使用主要通过信息传播、增强社会融入和改善自我认知等途径促进老年人就业,互联网使用所产生的工资溢价一方面促进了老年人就业,另一方面导致老年人工作时间缩短;数字经济发展有助于老年人就业水平的提升和工作时间的缩短,但互联网使用对老年人劳动供给的影响随着数字经济的发展而逐渐减弱;互联网使用对老年人就业的促进作用主要集中于城镇居住、无隔代照料压力、受教育水平较高和低龄的老年人群体,而对老年人工作时间缩短的影响主要集中于有养老金、无隔代照料压力和城镇居住的老年人群体。基于此,政府部门在推进互联网基础设施建设的同时,引导和鼓励老年人使用互联网将有助于老年人劳动供给的显著增加。

With the rapid development of the digital economy and the deepening of the aging population,the Internet use provides a new opportunity to promote the labor supply of the elderly.Based on the data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey,this paper uses the employment choice equation and working hour equation to investigate the effect of Internet use on labor supply of the elderly.The results show that Internet use promotes a significant increase in the employment level of the elderly and leads to a significant reduction in the working hours of the elderly.The rise in employment caused by Internet use more than compensates for the reduction in working hours,leading to a marked increase in the labor supply of the elderly.Further analysis shows that Internet use promotes the employment of the elderly mainly through information dissemination,enhancing social integration and improving self-cognition.Internet use has promoted a significant increase in the wage level of the elderly.The wage premium on the one hand promotes the employment of the elderly,and on the other hand leads to the reduction of the working hours of the elderly.The development of digital economy is conducive to the improvement of the employment level of the elderly and the shortening of working hours,but with the development of digital economy,the impact of Internet use on the labor supply of the elderly will gradually weaken.The promoting effect of Internet use on the employment of the elderly is mainly concentrated in the elderly group with urban residence,no pressure of intergenerational care,higher education level and younger age,while the shortening effect on the working time of the elderly is mainly concentrated in the elderly group with pension,no pressure of intergenerational care and urban residence.Therefore,while promoting the construction of Internet infrastructure,government departments guide and encourage the elderly to use the Internet,which will contribute to a significant increase in the labor supply of the elderly.