A policy to delay the retirement age is under research but it does not mean the current regulation will be changed soon, an official of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security told People's Daily on Tuesday.

According to the existing regulation, for enterprises, the current statutory retirement age is 60 for male employees, 50 for female employees and 55 for female cadres. For people engaged in coal mining, high-altitude work, high temperature work, heavy physical work, and other types of work harmful to health, the retirement age is 55 for males and 45 for females.

Some countries have extended the retirement age to adapt to demographic changes and the increasing age level of the population. But China, while having an aging population, still face employment pressure, so a policy change requires cautious consideration, the official said.

He also noted that before the government starts to reform the retirement age policy, there will be an in-depth and open discussion to give full consideration to the views of different groups to gradually reach a consensus before implementation.

The Labor and Social Security Ministry had previously conducted a study on delaying the retirement age as early as 2005, the report said.