Abstract:Using data from the 2016 China Family Tracking Survey (CFPS2016), this study empirically examines the reasons for the decline in labor participation rate among the working age population. The results showed that 'gnawing on the elderly' would hinder the participation of the working age population in labor, while 'family elderly care' would increase the individual's labor participation rate. According to marginal probability calculations, the negative impact caused by 'gnawing on the elderly' is more severe. Research on urban-rural classification shows that the problem of "gnawing on the elderly" in rural areas is more harmful, indicating that "gnawing on the elderly" is not a unique phenomenon among wealthy families and has shown a trend of "bottom to bottom competition". Family classification research shows that the "unmarried without mortgage" population is most susceptible to the influence of "gnawing old" behavior and reducing their willingness to work. These conclusions indicate, on the one hand, that there is indeed a negative trend of "lack of social responsibility" among some of the current working age population; On the other hand, it indicates that the phenomenon of forced "gnawing on the elderly" among low employment attraction groups is rapidly growing. Therefore, paying attention to the education and development of such groups is the core task to solve the current low employment dilemma.

Keywords: informal care;being NEETs;labor participation rate