Experts and officials have warned that unless more comprehensive
measures are taken to create jobs, the country's unemployment rate
could top government targets.
They said the country's jobless rate is actually higher than the
official figure of about 4 percent for 2002.
The government has vowed to keep its registered unemployment rate
below 4.5 percent this year and create 9.5 million jobs.
But Li Peilin, vice-president of the Sociology
Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the
official figure just counted those jobless registered in urban
areas. The Ministry of Labor and Social Security said China has
about 7.5 million registered unemployed in cities.
However, China still has about 10 million laid-off workers who
remain on labor contracts with their employers under
government-brokered arrangements.
"It is true that many of them can find jobs, but the possibilities
have gradually dimmed in recent years," vice-minister of Labor and
Social Security Zhang Xiaojian told China Daily
recently.
Zhang said in 1998, more than half the laid-off workers found new
jobs but last year, only 9 percent were re-employed.
In
addition, Li said official statistics do not count the 120-150
million surplus rural laborers, many of whom hold temporary jobs in
cities, or the 700,000 idle college graduates.
Vice-minister Zhang Xiaojian admitted that the statistical methods
the Chinese Government adopted differed from international
practice.
"The jobless rate in fact only reflects China's employment
situation in urban areas," said Zhang.
Zhang expressed "serious concern" about employment in China with
the population rising to more than 1.29 billion.
He
urged labor and social security departments at all levels to
consider labor markets in their local economic and social
development plans, with the aim of expanding employment.
"China has a huge work force, with about 60 percent of laborers in
rural areas, but the unemployment problems are evident and urgent,"
Zhang said.
A
report from the World Bank
indicated that China's labor force accounted for 26 percent of the
world's total but its natural and capital resources were less than
10 percent of the total.
Zhang said the supply of labor will greatly overtake demand in the
years ahead.
But Zhang said job prospects in China are still encouraging in the
long run.
The jobless will have access to more convenient services, receiving
training or unemployment benefits with less hassle.
(China Daily February 12, 2003)