China has achieved a significant milestone in employment by creating 12.56 million new urban jobs in 2024, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The announcement was made on Tuesday, highlighting the country's stable employment situation.
\"The employment situation remained generally stable,\" stated Lu Aihong, spokesperson for the ministry, during a press conference. The surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the previous year.
By the end of 2024, over 33.05 million people who had been lifted from poverty were employed, demonstrating China's commitment to improving livelihoods and reducing poverty.
Additionally, China's social security system continues to expand, with nearly 1.39 billion social security card holders, including 1.07 billion digital social security card users by the end of last year. Social security cards are now increasingly utilized in both physical and digital forms.
The ministry emphasized the advancement in vocational skills, with over 12 million individuals obtaining vocational skill-level certificates or professional qualification certificates in 2024. Lu added that the ministry has strengthened the standardized management of vocational competence assessment.
Looking ahead to 2025, the ministry plans to implement a targeted employment support program focusing on key sectors, industries, urban-rural grassroots, as well as micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. This includes establishing a mechanism for collecting and releasing information on job positions related to major projects.
The ministry will also accelerate research and formulation of policies to enhance the private pension system's appeal, aiming to provide better social security benefits to the population.
By the end of 2023, there were 70,000 human resource service agencies operating across the country, employing 1.06 million people, according to Zhang Wenmiao, an official with the ministry. These agencies provided services to 300 million workers and 55.99 million employers, with approximately 40 percent of these employers in the manufacturing sector.
To further support youth employment, the ministry announced plans to introduce a youth job creation program in 2025, including measures to boost employment for college graduates. Youth employment, particularly for college graduates, remains a top priority. \"Throughout 2025, the ministry will organize a series of activities to promote employment and entrepreneurship among young people,\" said Chen Yongjia, an official with the ministry.
Reference(s):
China adds 12.56m new urban jobs in 2024, employment situation stable
cgtn.com
