Since 2010, China's participation rate in the workforce has been decreasing, which has caused labor markets to tighten, contributing to a less than seven percent economic growth rate for 2016. Rapid aging of the workforce, beginning in 2012, and a rise in students seeking tertiary education are two of the factors that have contributed to the contracting workforce. Rapid aging of China's workforce is expected to continue until 2030. Some economists posit that the changes will be good for the economy, because higher education attained by workers could mean increased productivity, wages, and efficiency. Similarly, workers using their retirement benefits could yield an increase in consumption.
See "Fewer Chinese Join the Job Market, But That May Be a Good Thing", Bloomberg, March 28, 2017