Sensory Impairment and Labor Force Participation - Evidence From Pre-Retirement Age Adults in China

Q: What is the study examining regarding sensory impairment and labor force participation?

It examines how hearing loss, vision impairment, and dual sensory impairment affect labor force participation among adults aged 50–64 in China, including differences by hukou-residency status.

Q: Does sensory impairment change the probability of being employed?

No significant difference was found in employment probability between people with and without sensory impairment, and no difference across hukou-residency groups.

Q: How does sensory impairment relate to annual work hours?

HL, VI, and DSI are associated with fewer annual work hours compared with those without sensory impairment, with larger reductions observed among rural residents—particularly for HL and DSI.

Sep 29, 2026

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Hearing loss (HL), vision impairment (VI), and dual sensory impairment (DSI) create barriers to labor force participation (LFP) in midlife. The study analyzes adults aged 50–64 in China and tests how HL, VI, and DSI relate to LFP, also comparing differences by hukou-residency status. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011–2018) and OLS, random-effects, and fixed-effects models, findings show no employment probability difference. Sensory impairment is linked to fewer annual work hours, especially HL and DSI among rural residents.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

Study overview

Data and analytic approach

Employment probability results

Annual work hours findings

Implications for policy

1254 Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 Abstract citation ID: igaf122.4190 SENSORY IMPAIRMENT AND LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION: EVIDENCE FROM PRE-RETIREMENT AGE ADULTS IN CHINA Yuetong Toria Liu, and Zhang Zhang, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States Hearing loss (HL), vision impairment (VI), and dual sensory impairment (DSI) pose challenges to labor force participation (LFP) in midlife. This study examines the impact of HL, VI, and DSI on LFP among adults aged 50-64 and explores differences by hukou-residency status in China. The data were drawn from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011–2018) . We conducted analyses using ordinary least squares, random-effects, and fixed-effects (FE) models. FE models were applied for subgroup analyses and interpretation. Among 32,408 person-year observations, 15.4% reported HL, 6.8% reported VI, and 4.6% reported DSI. The weighted prevalence of hearing aid use among people with HL was 1.9% . No significant difference was found in the probability of employment between those with and without sensory impairment, nor across hukou-residency groups. However, HL, VI, and DSI were associated with 12.9%(p < .01), 5.5%(p > .05), and 21.3%(p < .01) fewer annual work hours, respectively, compared to those Innovation in Aging, 2025, Vol. 9, No. S2 1255 without sensory impairment. Among rural residents, HL, VI, and DSI corresponded to 16.9%(p < .01), 6.6%(p > .05), and 22.2%(p < .01) reductions in annual work hours, respectively. For rural-to-urban migrant workers, reductions were 0.9%, 6.0%, and 23.8%, respectively, although not statistically significant. Our study suggests that while sensory impairment was not associated with the probability of employment, HL and DSI significantly reduce annual work hours, particularly among rural residents. These findings point to the need for more inclusive health and labor policies to support pre-retirement adults with sensory impairments in China.

FAQs

What is the study examining regarding sensory impairment and labor force participation?

It examines how hearing loss, vision impairment, and dual sensory impairment affect labor force participation among adults aged 50–64 in China, including differences by hukou-residency status.

Does sensory impairment change the probability of being employed?

No significant difference was found in employment probability between people with and without sensory impairment, and no difference across hukou-residency groups.

How does sensory impairment relate to annual work hours?

HL, VI, and DSI are associated with fewer annual work hours compared with those without sensory impairment, with larger reductions observed among rural residents—particularly for HL and DSI.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by วิน