China's job market maintained stable growth in the first three quarters, and the government will continue taking active measures, including expanding vocational training programs, strengthening rights protection for gig workers and developing new occupations, to further promote employment.
Figures released by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Saturday show that about 10.52 million people found jobs in urban areas in the first nine months of this year, achieving 87.7 percent of the annual target. The surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged about 5.2 percent in the first eight months.
To promote higher-quality employment, the ministry will step up financial and fiscal support in the coming years and actively address the impact of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, on the job market, said Li Zhong, vice-minister of human resources and social security, at a news conference in Beijing on Saturday.
The ministry will focus on stabilizing employment in labor-intensive and service industries to create more jobs, while expanding vocational training programs to address structural imbalances between labor supply and demand.
It will also improve public employment services and strengthen supervision of the human resources market to promote higher-quality employment, Li said.
"Administrative regulations and mechanisms for protecting the employment rights of workers in flexible employment and gig work will be further improved to ensure fairer recruitment, remuneration, social insurance coverage and rest periods," he said.
The ministry will also continue developing new occupations in response to technological advances and the evolving needs of industrial development, thereby expanding employment opportunities.
Vocational training is also key to addressing structural imbalances in the labor market. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), the ministry aims to provide government-subsidized vocational training to 10 million people annually and help 40 million people obtain government-recognized skills certificates over the five-year period.
