A Qualitative Investigation of Barriers and Facilitators Involved in the Implementation of Endowment Insurance in China’s Construction Industry

Abstract

Given their occupation’s inherent income instability, the promotion of endowment insurance among construction workers is essential. This research reports the barriers and facilitators involved in promoting endowment insurance to construction workers, by contextualizing it in China. It adopts a qualitative research approach combining semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. It is discovered that the barriers include (1) construction workers’ low willingness to participate in insurance, caused by the low level of awareness and understanding of the benefits of endowment insurance, low income, unstable employment situation, and lack of trust in the insurance system, (2) companies’ irresponsibility, caused by cost pressure, lack of policy support, uncertain legal responsibilities, and (3) governments’ incomplete management, caused by insufficient funding, complex administrative procedures, weak regulation, and regional differences. A series of facilitating measures are also proposed, including (1) increasing awareness and understanding of the benefits of endowment insurance, (2) adjusting the design of the endowment insurance scheme, and (3) strengthening legislation and enforcement. This study presents an analysis of the promotion practices of endowment insurance in China’s construction industry, which can provide policymakers with valuable references for optimizing the endowment insurance system. The findings can have significant implications for China and other developing countries that may face similar challenges in promoting social security programs in aging societies.