BEIJING: China will expand job opportunities for young people, college graduates and migrant workers, officials said on Saturday (Mar 7), as mounting economic, demographic and AI-driven pressures weigh on the labour market.
“Employment is a must-answer question in the livelihood agenda at the Two Sessions, it concerns every household and the nation,” Wang Xiaoping, Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, told reporters at a livelihood press conference during the annual parliamentary meetings.
With a record 12.7 million new college graduates this year, youth employment took centre stage as Wang outlined targeted campus services, large-scale internships and skills training.
Wang said employment services would be introduced on campuses earlier in the academic year, with internship programmes and practical skills training expanded ahead of graduation.
Authorities will also expand local-level job opportunities, encourage hiring in labour-intensive sectors such as construction and hospitality, and step up recruitment in emerging industries.
China’s urban youth unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds, excluding students, stood at 16.3 per cent in January, down slightly from 16.5 per cent in the previous month, though the rate remains elevated.
Wang acknowledged market uncertainties but expressed confidence in maintaining stable employment.
China can sustain positive momentum over the next five years, she added.
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