"The living pressure is great for me because my pension is only half my working wage before retirement," the former office clerk said.

Working makes life more fulfilling and interesting, she added.

However, job opportunities available for the retired are limited, and some employers want to recruit young people so they can "establish a better corporate image", she said.

Guo Ping, a researcher from the China Research Center on Aging, said retired doctors and engineers usually enjoy more opportunities than their blue-collar peers in the job market because doctors and engineers are valued for their years of experience, so retired professionals actually are more competitive on the job market than young graduates are.

The China National Committee on Aging launched a campaign called "Gray-haired Action" that encourages retired professionals, including medical personnel and scientists from big cities, to volunteer in economically less-developed regions in 2003.

About 5 million elderly volunteers from 31 provinces and regions have participated in the campaign and generated economic value of about 8 billion yuan ($1.32 billion).

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