China created 12.56 million new urban jobs in 2024, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced on Tuesday, reflecting a stable employment landscape across the nation.
The surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent in 2024, a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the previous year, according to the ministry's spokesperson, Lu Aihong.
\"The employment situation remained generally stable,\" Lu stated at a press conference. By the end of 2024, over 33.05 million people who had been lifted from poverty were gainfully employed, highlighting the country's ongoing efforts in poverty alleviation.
Social security advancements were also noted, with nearly 1.39 billion social security card holders nationwide by the end of last year, including 1.07 billion digital social security card users. \"Social security cards are divided into physical and digital formats, and many people hold both types,\" Lu explained.
The ministry emphasized the strengthening of vocational competence assessment, with over 12 million individuals obtaining vocational skill-level certificates or professional qualification certificates in 2024.
Looking ahead to 2025, the ministry plans to implement a targeted employment support program focusing on key sectors, industries, urban-rural grassroots areas, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. This initiative aims to establish a mechanism for collecting and releasing information on job positions related to major projects.
Efforts will also be made to enhance the private pension system's appeal. \"We will accelerate the research and formulation of relevant policies and measures,\" Lu added.
By the end of 2023, 70,000 human resource service agencies were operating across the country, employing 1.06 million people, according to ministry 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 is set to introduce a youth job creation program this year, including measures to boost employment for college graduates. \"Youth employment, particularly for college graduates, remains a top priority,\" said ministry official Chen Yongjia. \"Throughout 2025, we will organize a series of activities to promote employment and entrepreneurship among young people.\"
