South China Morning Post (09.10.2026) China has issued a draft of its first formal regulation to extend labour-law protections to the country’s rapidly growing ranks of gig and platform workers, a major segment of an expanding flexible workforce within the country’s tough job market. Platform workers, such as ride-hailing drivers and those engaged in food deliveries – a group totalling 84 million who often face irregular pay and intense workloads – will be entitled to basic labour protections covering pay, rest periods, workplace safety and more, according to the draft published on Thursday fo

news.yahoo.com (08.10.2026) Millions of gig workers in China could benefit from stronger labour protections under proposed rules announced Thursday that would mandate online platforms sign employment contracts with them. The draft measures from China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security require internet platforms that "recruit, organise, and manage workers...

ilo.org (30.09.2026) Expanding social security coverage in the informal economy: China's experience and lessons examines the approaches taken and challenges faced by China, Kenya and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic in developing social security systems, expanding coverage and strengthening digital administration. The report finds that the three countries face several common challenges.

chinadaily.com.cn (11.09.2026) Over the next three years, China will seek to enroll more flexible workers, migrant workers and people in new forms of employment in the basic medical insurance system, according to a notice issued on Tuesday by government departments led by the National Healthcare Security Administration. During the period, new enrollment and contribution models tailored to people in new forms of employment will be explored, while services for flexible workers will be improved to make enrollment easier, the notice stated.

Chinadaily.com.cn (26.03.2026) China has formally launched a national long-term care insurance program after a decade of pilot programs, establishing what it calls a "sixth pillar" of social security to ease the burden on families caring for a rapidly aging population. The framework, issued in a joint guideline by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, sets a three-year target to build a unified system covering the entire population, regardless of employment status. It follows pilot programs that have covered more than 3.3 million disabled

cepr.org (21.03.2026) China is undergoing a sharp demographic transition: rapid population ageing, a shrinking labour force, persistently low fertility, and continued urbanisation. Using an overlapping-generations framework, this column shows that the demographic transition is a joint growth and fiscal headwind: the economy slows just as ageing-related spending pressures intensify. A recent retirement age reform mitigates some of the economic and fiscal pressures.

news.cgtn.com (05.03.2026) China will advance a proactive national strategy in response to population aging, according to the government work report submitted on Thursday to the country's top legislature for deliberation. The report prioritizes elderly care services in rural areas. Minimum basic old-age benefits for rural and non-working urban residents will be raised, and the country's unified national management system for basic old-age insurance funds will be scaled up.

chinadaily.com.cn (26.01.2026) Experts have called for collaborative efforts from government, online platforms and society to improve social insurance coverage for people in new forms of employment — such as ride-hailing drivers and food delivery workers — to better safeguard their livelihoods. Earlier in December, the annual Central Economic Work Conference held in Beijing clarified that flexible workers and people in new forms of employment are encouraged to enroll in the regular employees social insurance program.

Xinhua (22.01.2026) China has rolled out a nationwide subsidy program to support elderly people with disabilities who purchase care services, authorities announced Thursday, as part of efforts to ease family burdens and build a more senior-friendly society. The vouchers, worth up to 800 yuan (about 114 U.S. dollars) per person per month, can be used to cover a wide range of services such as meal assistance, bathing assistance, housekeeping assistance, mobility support, emergency aid, medical assistance, rehabilitation nursing, and daytime care.

asianews.network (08.01.2026) In December, top lawmakers deliberated ways to offer better legal protection for the country’s workers in flexible employment, based on a report that pointed out that “issues such as unstable income and insufficient labour protection persist” despite strides made in recent years.