In a significant stride towards economic stability, China has created 12.56 million new urban jobs in 2024, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The country's surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.1 percent, 0.1 percentage points lower than the previous year, signaling a resilient job market.
\"The employment situation remained generally stable,\" noted Lu Aihong, spokesperson for the ministry, during a press conference on Tuesday. The positive trend reflects China's ongoing efforts to bolster employment and reduce poverty across the nation.
By the end of 2024, over 33.05 million people who had been lifted from poverty secured employment, underscoring the impact of targeted poverty alleviation programs. The expansion of the social security system also continued, with nearly 1.39 billion social security card holders recorded by the end of last year, including 1.07 billion digital card users.
\"We have strengthened the standardized management of vocational competence assessment,\" Lu added, highlighting that over 12 million individuals obtained vocational skill-level certificates or professional qualification certificates last year. This initiative aims to enhance the workforce's skills and meet the demands of an evolving economy.
Looking ahead, the ministry announced plans for 2025, including a targeted employment support program focusing on key sectors, industries, urban-rural grassroots, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. The program will establish a mechanism for collecting and releasing information on job positions related to major projects, facilitating better job matching and employment opportunities.
The ministry also aims to accelerate policies enhancing the appeal of the private pension system, catering to an aging population's needs and ensuring long-term financial security for citizens.
Human resource services have played a pivotal role in China's employment landscape. By the end of 2023, approximately 70,000 human resource service agencies were operating nationwide, employing over 1 million people. These agencies provided services to 300 million workers and nearly 56 million employers, with around 40 percent of these employers in the manufacturing sector, according to ministry official Zhang Wenmiao.
Emphasizing the importance of youth employment, the ministry revealed plans to introduce a youth job creation program this year, focusing on measures to boost employment for college graduates. \"Youth employment, particularly for college graduates, remains a top priority,\" said ministry official Chen Yongjia. Throughout 2025, the ministry will organize a series of activities promoting employment and entrepreneurship among young people, nurturing the next generation of professionals.
These initiatives reflect China's commitment to fostering a robust and inclusive job market, supporting economic growth, and improving the livelihoods of its citizens.
