From 2021, the retirement age is adjusted aim to increasing the general retirement, gradually narrowing the gender gap in retirement age regulations, for special occupations, and employees are entitled to retire 5 years earlier or later than the general retirement age.

Retirement age adjustment is an inevitable trend taking place in most countries

Sending comments to the 7th session, the XIV National Assembly, voters of Tien Giang, Quang Tri, Tay Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Hai Phong, and Ho Chi Minh City are interested in new regulations in the draft Labor Code (amended), especially regulations on increasing the retirement age and changing working time.

Voters believe that this is an important issue that directly affects people's lives and activities, so they propose to consult widely among the people, the business community, and relevant organizations and units to assess the impact of the change to have appropriate regulations. The study adjusts to increase the retirement age in the direction of increasing for highly qualified workers, not for unskilled workers and specific occupations such as pre-school teachers, because if the retirement age is increased, it will lead to a decrease in the quality and efficiency of work due to the nature of the job that requires creativity and regular physical activities with children.

According to the draft Labor Code, the increase of the working-age of women to 60 and men to 62, should be carefully considered for each profession, each group of objects; should not stipulate a common retirement age as in the draft Code.

Voters also proposed to consider adjusting the retirement age to suit the actual situation of average life expectancy, workers' living standards, labor productivity, the nature of each labor industry, and each suitable position to balance the interests of employees in general.

Regarding this issue, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs replied to voters in the provinces as follows:

The issue of increasing the retirement age was discussed by the Central Committee in the Social Insurance Policy Reform Scheme at the 7th Conference of the XII Central Committee, and the Central Committee also unanimously approved Resolution No. 28/NQ-TW dated May 23, 2018 on reforming social insurance policies.

Retirement age adjustment is an inevitable trend taking place in most countries. For Vietnam, the retirement age adjustment is to ensure the quantity, quality, and structure of the population; gender equality, balance the Social Insurance Fund in the long term; population aging trends; nature and types of labor and among industries and fields. The retirement age adjustment needs to have a long-term vision and a roadmap suitable to economic growth, job creation, and unemployment; has no negative impact on the labor market.

From 2021, the retirement age will be adjusted according to the goal of increasing the general retirement age, gradually narrowing the gender gap in retirement age regulations, and for special occupations, employees are entitled to the retirement 5 years earlier or later than the general retirement age.

Thus, in the spirit of Resolution No. 28/NQ-TW of the Central Committee, from 2021, the retirement age will be adjusted according to an appropriate roadmap to increase the general retirement age, including investigation and consideration of the nature and types of labor and among industries and fields to stipulate that employees are entitled to earlier or later retirement.

Sticking to the above spirit of Resolution No. 28/NQ-TW, in the process of developing the draft Labor Code (amended), after studying, evaluating the overall aspects related and synthesizing opinions with the participation of ministries, sectors, and localities, the draft Labor Code (amended) attached to the Government's Report No. 208/TTr-CP dated May 17, 2019 submitted to the National Assembly has proposed 2 options for regulations adjusted to increase the retirement age, in which the recommendations of voters had also been considered and accepted by the Drafting Committee and the Government.

The last 7th session of the 14th National Assembly discussed and commented on the Labor Code Project (amended), many of which were related to the proposed plan to increase the retirement age. Based on the opinions of the National Assembly deputies, currently, the Drafting Committee and the Government have been actively continuing to organize activities to collect opinions, assess multi-dimensional impacts, study, absorb and explain opinions of the National Assembly deputies to finalize the plan increasing the retirement age in the draft Labor Code (amended) to be submitted to the Government and the National Assembly.