Job market figures show steady improvement

Minister pledges more measures to boost employment of young people

China's job market has shown overall improvement and steady growth this year thanks to the continuously recovering economy and tailor-made policies by authorities, said a top human resources official.

According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 10.2 million people landed jobs in urban areas in the first nine months, accounting for 85 percent of the nation's target for the year. The surveyed unemployment rate in September was 5 percent, down 0.2 percentage points from the previous month.

"It's not easy work to achieve such results and cut the unemployment rate, taking into account the uncertainties of the economic situation. The central government has prioritized employment in social and economic development and viewed employment stability from a strategic perspective," Wang Xiaoping, minister of human resources and social security, said in recent interviews with Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily.

Wang said that the improving economy is key to stimulating employment growth, and the implementation of bonus policies has vitalized the job market.

"China's GDP registered a year-on-year increase of 5.2 percent in first three quarters, one of the frontrunners among the world's major economies. Also, we've seen the implementation of bonus policies, such as subsidies to employers for increasing job vacancies and retaining staff, which has formed a systematic policy-based buttress to the job market."

However, the nation is still under pressure to promote the employment of young people, especially college graduates, due to their increasing population — reaching 11.58 million this year.

Wang said that the employment of young people is of great importance to the nation's economic development and the nation's future, thus the ministry will continue perfecting the working mechanism of helping youth land jobs and supporting them to realize their dreams.

"We will strengthen the bonus policies for employers to encourage them to offer more job openings to young people. More knowledge and skill-based job opportunities in the sectors of digital economy, green economy and new consumption areas can be developed," she said. "Also, we will stabilize the job openings at grassroots-level government bodies."

She said that it's necessary to let college students and graduates get easier access to job-hunting services, while digital technology can be applied to make these services available to young people online.

She added that strengthening the working ability and skills training are important to improve young people's career prospects.

"On one hand, it's important to deepen the cooperation between colleges and companies to produce skilled talent as needed by the job market. On the other hand, we will keep coordinating with the education department to improve the educational system and produce more knowledgeable, skilled and innovative talent fitting modern industries."

She said that the ministry respects the will of young people and is offering them different support in accordance with their practical needs.

"As to those youths running startups or taking flexible jobs, we give them support on spaces and financial services. Meanwhile, we guide them to pursue their dreams and give full play to their wisdom in the process of devoting themselves to the nation's development," she said.

The ministry will keep improving the grassroots job services and building up a more precise and scientific employment management system to consolidate the progress the nation has so far achieved in stabilizing the job market.

The ministry will apply more digital technologies in the construction of an information platform covering the whole process of a job-seeker's employment or entrepreneurship. Also, the ministry will strengthen the employment monitoring system to ensure the basic needs of key groups, including college graduates, migrant workers and people having difficulties landing jobs due to their financial conditions or disabilities.