Nowadays, there is no consensus of opinions about whether old people should retire early so that youngsters can have more job opportunities. Some maintain that old people’s early retirement to make room for young people is of great benefit to social and economic development. To begin with, young people are more energetic and therefore more physically fit for a great host of high-pressure occupations, such as manufacturing, shipping and management. Economy can benefit a lot from young people’s participation. Secondly, if old people keep occupying job positions, there may be a high unemployment rate among youngsters, and consequently lead to social instability.
Still others disagree by holding that the drawbacks that come along with old people’s early retirement outweigh its benefits. First, senior citizens’ experience and expertise that can only be developed over time is a valuable asset to society, and no society could develop healthfully without their experience and contribution. Secondly, old people are entitled to the right to employment and may feel deprived if forced to retire early simply to make room for young people.
As far as I am concerned, both sides have their point. On one hand, we should show respect for old people’s contributions and life and work experience to society and cannot force them to retire early simply because they are old. On the other hand, to maintain the dynamic and vitality of society and economy, young people should be cultivated in each position so that they can property take the responsibility one day. In short, we need to balance the relative contributions of the parties concerned.