China's Labor Force Decreased in 2011

In another sign that China's population is fast-graying, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced that the proportion of working-age people has declined for the first time since 2002.

"We will focus on the labor supply," government officials said January 18, without offering details on China's family planning outlook. China's working-age population—defined as people between the ages of 15 and 64—declined by 0.1 percent to 74.4 percent in 2011, NBS officials said.