China One Child Policy Essay

The education of youth and care of elders are prominent social issues in China. The coinage of the 4:2:1 problem has been attributed to this. The one-child policy, instituted in China four decades ago to prevent “overpopulation, economic stagnation, and catastrophic famine,” is impacting the growth of the nation in unprecedented ways (“China passes). Young adults, as well as senior citizens, are feeling the effect of the public policy. The policy slows the growth of the population and has a detrimental impact on either end of the current demographic spectrum. The surplus of educated college graduates, not suited for the high-tech jobs, is creating a large unemployment situation. A large number of retirees that are relying on social services for pension is causing a huge economic impact on the social welfare systems at the same time.
The 4:2:1 problem means that, for every four …show more content…
When the industries in Europe and U.S. grew drastically in the 1900’s, they used manpower from around the world. The borders were open and language was not a huge barrier. Also, the local population did not have enough manpower to support the growth. In China, all of these factors are different. The economy is closed to foreigners seeking employment. The political climate is not open for an external workforce. All this growth has to be supported by the youth in that country. The shortage of the right type of people for the jobs is slowing the economy and sending ripple effects through the global supply chain. Most electronic, plastic, and clothing manufacturing has been outsourced to China. Any slowdown in Chinese manufacturing will upset the global supply and demand situation. The recent economic predictions are pointing to a slowdown of the economy. The GDP index has fallen to 7.5 percent (Ansuya). This is an indication that that the economy is not growing and may upset the world markets and impact the stock values of most major