The Real Challenges and Difficulties in Employment Placement for Retired Athletes in China — Findings from a Survey Across 10 Provinces, Municipalities, and Autonomous Regions

Based on specialized empirical research on the employment placement of retired athletes across 10 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions nationwide, combined with the 2023 revised Sports Law of the People's Republic of China and the latest policy documents issued by the General Administration of Sport of China in 2025, this study systematically analyzes the current characteristics and core challenges of employment placement for retired athletes in China.The study reveals that China sees an annual average of over 3,000 retired athletes, with retirement peaks during Olympic years and post-National Games surging 40% higher than regular years. The overall employment placement landscape exhibits three key characteristics: "diverse policy frameworks but uneven regional implementation, expanded employment channels but insufficient job matching, and strengthened support systems but limited coverage."The core contradictions currently center on four dimensions: structural mismatches between individual employability and market demand; fragmented provincial policies and inter-provincial coordination bottlenecks; psychological transition barriers and lack of intervention mechanisms; and gaps in social security safety nets and coordination discontinuities.By comparing empirical data from eastern, central, western, and northeastern regions, this study proposes a four-dimensional solution: "institutional coordination + capacity enhancement + market linkage + psychological support." This framework provides empirical references and policy recommendations for improving China's employment placement system for retired athletes and advancing the implementation of the "sports-education integration" strategy.