MKsport East China's Anhui Province on October 16, 2024. The job fair attracted more than 183 companies offering more than 10,000 positions. The year 2024 is expected to see 11.79 million students graduating from colleges, an increase of 210,000 from 2023. Photo: VCG" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2025/2025-02-24/0c7dc8b4-b2ef-4908-a839-c8ce53130b40.jpeg" />

College students look for jobs at an employment fair held on the campus of the Huaibei Normal University in Huaibei, East China's Anhui Province on October 16, 2024. The job fair attracted more than 183 companies offering more than 10,000 positions. The year 2024 is expected to see 11.79 million students graduating from colleges, an increase of 210,000 from 2023. Photo: VCG

China targets to create over 12 million new urban jobs in 2025, following 12.56 million jobs added in 2024, in an effort to further stabilize and expand employment, according to a government work report submitted Wednesday to the national legislature for deliberation.

Employment is crucial to the people's wellbeing. China will fully leverage all relevant policies, including unemployment insurance premium refunds, tax and fee cuts, and employment subsidies, to carry out employment support plans targeted at key areas and industries, urban and rural communities, and micro, small, and medium enterprises, according to the Government Work Report.

China will support labor-intensive industries in creating jobs and stabilizing employment and strike a balance between the application of new technologies and job relocation for employees. This will help create new job opportunities, the report said.

The country will also improve services to facilitate employment and entrepreneurship, expand the employment and business start-up channels for college graduates and other young people, help ex-service members get resettled and employed, ensure employment for rural migrant workers and people lifted out of poverty, and increase assistance for people facing difficulties in finding jobs, such as older jobseekers, people with disabilities, and the long-term unemployed, according to the report.

According to the report. China will better protect the rights and interests of people in flexible employment and new forms of employment and expand trials of occupational injury insurance, and carry out large-scale plans for upgrading vocational skills to increase the supply of highly-skilled personnel urgently needed in the manufacturing and service sectors.

"We will move faster to develop a skills-based pay system to see that skilled workers get better paid. In short, we will ensure better pay for those with a commitment to hard work, an outstanding skill set, and a dedication to innovation," said the report.

The report proposes to increase the coordinated support of various funds and resources, with a focus on supporting industries and sectors that have a large capacity for employment, as well as employment groups that are in particular need of assistance, Shen Danyang, head of the drafting team for the Government Work Report and director of the Research Office of the State Council, said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

The report underscores the urgency to address the employment of 12.22 million university graduates this year, ensuring timely employment to ease the concerns of both graduates and their families. With March heralding the prime recruitment season, often referred to as the "golden March and silver April," it is imperative to intensify efforts in organizing and facilitating campus spring recruitment drives, Shen said.

Shen noted that investment in necessary resources and promotional activities is crucial, with several initiatives already in motion. Also, the report highlights the need to reinforce support for groups such as the recently lifted-out-of-poverty population and migrant workers, ensuring continued assistance in their employment endeavors.

To tackle structural imbalance in employment — where job seekers and vacancies mismatch — a large-scale vocational training initiative will be launched this year, Shen said. Jobs in home care, elderly nursing, big data, AI, and new energy vehicle maintenance sectors, will be addressed through targeted programs. "We must build a skill-based pay system to help people secure jobs and incomes," he said.

Global Times