China’s employment situation improving
China’s employment situation is improving. That’s the message to come out of the State Council’s meeting on Wednesday. But the top administrative body also acknowledged that the situation is still severe as the country’s economic recovery is not yet secure. It also produced new measures to safeguard jobs.
Premier Wen Jiabao chaired the State Council’s regular meeting, which focused on employment. The central government said new jobs so far this year exceeded 3.6 million by the end of April and migrant workers are returning to factories. It added the country’s job situation has made a turnaround from the slide seen in the forth quarter of last year.
But the State Council admitted it’s not yet clear what the full effects of the global financial crisis will be for China and that uncertainties remain in its recovery. It cited fewer new jobs and a higher jobless rate compared with 2008. The State Council also said a 42 billion yuan special employment fund in the central budget should be put in place as scheduled. That’s 67 percent more money than was allocated last year.
Regarding the creation of new jobs, the government pledged to bolster private economies, which always provide the largest pool of employment. It also said that various industrial development plans should focus on job creation.
College graduates, migrant workers and low-income families will get more help. And the government will offer training programs for all kinds of people, from migrant workers to graduates. The government called for improved job center services and will now offer subsidies to interns serving in central and western China.
Since the second half of 2008, China has implemented various measures to boost employment. And now, the State Council said it would redouble efforts to help people ride out the economic downturn.