Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, February 07, 2002
China's Unemployment Figures Dropping: Survey
The latest survey conducted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security shows China's unemployment is decreasing but there are still many unemployed. Reports also show tertiary industries such as wholesale and social services offer the most jobs.
The latest survey conducted by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security shows China's unemployment is decreasing but there are still many unemployed.
According to the results of a survey taken in 62 major cities, the number of unemployed decreased during the fourth quarter of last year. There were 1.08 million jobs available but 1.45 million people looking for work leaving 370,000 unemployed.
Reports also show tertiary industries such as wholesale and social services offer the most jobs.
Several trends in employment markets
State-owned and collectively-owned businesses are employing fewer people while private businesses are employing more people.
The unemployed consist of laid-off workers and surplus rural laborers, with an increasing number of unemployed young people.
Experts say people between 25 and 34 years old have more chances of gaining employment than people over 45 years of age. Job-seekers with a master degree or higher have better chances of obtaining a job.
The Chinese Labor and Social Security Ministry will try to provide jobs for eight million more people next year, and limit the national unemployment rate to around 4.5 percent, according to a national conference on labor and social security held Wednesday in Shanghai.To fulfill the plan, the ministry will take a series of preferential measures, as follows:
Creating more job opportunities through developing community and household services.
Improving the labor market system and setting up more employment agencies in local communities and townships.
Developing professional training for new industries and the modernized service industry, so as to improve the workers' skills and innovation ability.
Implementing and improving the preferential re-employment policies, and removing the barriers to the freedom to seek jobs.