In October 2022, the Open University of China’s project Fostering Digital Competency, Building Re-employment Capacity, and Enhancing Well-being for Younger Older Adults in the Digital Economy was approved by the APEC Secretariat. There are 4 key activities that should be completed during the project lifetime. Background paper is one of them. 

The OUC organized a team to conduct research once the approval was passed. The research questions are

•Are the APEC economies all becoming ageing societies?

•What is the state of digital literacy and skills among younger older adults in APEC Economies?

•What challenges do younger older adults face in accessing re-employment?

The research findings are as below:

1. The overwhelming majority of APEC economies are facing population ageing and corresponding policies have been proactively put in place to address this issue
2. The proportion of women in the older adult population is slightly higher, but they have a lower employment rate than men
3. APEC economies have implemented various forms of OAE, mainly focused on leisure and entertainment activities
4. Older adults have the potential for re-employment
5. Most APEC economies have a strong demand for digital talents
6. Older adults face a digital divide in returning to the job market