China has achieved significant progress in its employment landscape, adding 12.56 million new urban jobs in 2024, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
At a press conference on Tuesday, ministry spokesperson Lu Aihong announced that the country's surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent in 2024, a slight decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the previous year. \"The employment situation remained generally stable,\" Lu remarked.
Notably, over 33.05 million people who had been lifted from poverty were employed by the end of 2024, reflecting China's ongoing efforts to promote inclusive growth and reduce income disparities.
China's social security system also saw considerable expansion, with nearly 1.39 billion social security card holders by the end of last year, including 1.07 billion digital social security card users. Lu highlighted that many citizens hold both physical and digital social security cards, enhancing accessibility and convenience.
The ministry has strengthened the standardized management of vocational competence assessment, resulting in over 12 million individuals obtaining vocational skill-level certificates or professional qualification certificates last year. This initiative boosts the nation's skilled workforce and supports economic development.
Looking ahead, the ministry announced plans for 2025, including the implementation of a targeted employment support program aimed at key sectors, industries, urban-rural grassroots, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. This program will establish a mechanism for collecting and releasing information on job positions related to major projects.
Efforts to enhance the appeal of the private pension system are also underway, with accelerated research and formulation of relevant policies and measures.
The human resource services sector has experienced growth. 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 in 2023, with approximately 40 percent of employers in the manufacturing sector.
Promoting youth employment, particularly for college graduates, remains a top priority. The ministry plans to introduce a youth job creation program this year, including measures to boost employment for college graduates. \"Throughout 2025, we 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
