China created 12.56 million new urban jobs in 2024, maintaining a stable employment landscape, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
At a press conference on Tuesday, spokesperson Lu Aihong announced that the surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent in 2024, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the previous year. \"The employment situation remained generally stable,\" Lu stated.
Employment among individuals lifted from poverty saw significant progress, with over 33.05 million people employed by the end of 2024. This development reflects China's ongoing efforts to enhance social welfare and reduce poverty.
Social security participation also expanded, with nearly 1.39 billion social security card holders by the end of last year, including 1.07 billion digital social security card users. Many residents hold both physical and digital cards, enhancing accessibility to social services.
The ministry reported advancements in vocational training, with over 12 million individuals obtaining vocational skill-level certificates or professional qualification certificates in 2024. Lu emphasized the strengthened management of vocational competence assessments contributing to workforce development.
Looking ahead to 2025, the ministry announced plans to implement a targeted employment support program focusing on key sectors, industries, urban-rural grassroots, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. The initiative aims to establish a mechanism for collecting and releasing information on job positions related to major projects.
Efforts will also accelerate to formulate policies enhancing the appeal of the private pension system, supporting the financial security of the aging population.
By the end of 2023, China had 70,000 human resource service agencies operating nationwide, employing 1.06 million people. According to official Zhang Wenmiao, these agencies provided services to 300 million workers and 55.99 million employers throughout 2023, with approximately 40 percent of the employers in the manufacturing sector.
The ministry highlighted youth employment as a top priority, particularly for college graduates. Plans are underway to introduce a youth job creation program in the current year, with measures to boost employment and entrepreneurship among young people. \"Throughout 2025, we will organize a series of activities to promote employment and entrepreneurship among young people,\" said official Chen Yongjia.
Reference(s):
China adds 12.56m new urban jobs in 2024, employment situation stable
cgtn.com
