The number of the registered unemployed in Chinese urban areas
reached 7.75 million people up to the end of March, 0.75 million
more than that of the same period last year, and the registered
unemployment rate was 4.1 percent.
As
forecast, the number of lay-off is expected to decrease this year,
but the unemployed people will increase in number and the
unemployment rate presents an upward trend this year.
An
analysis by an official with the said ministry shows that there are
the following three main reasons for increase in the unemployment
rate: First, after leaving the job information center some of the
laid-off workers can't find a job temporarily and become
unemployed. Second, with the intensified structural adjustment,
some loss-making enterprises withdraw from the market and it is
impossible to place part of their workers for the time being.
Third, the number of newly-increased labor is fairly large. The
number of graduates will increase by 0.67 million over last year's
and the number of the unemployed will increase accordingly.
In
addition, the subsidies provided by the central finance to promote
employment are to be allocated to local governments in time. The
labor and security departments will supervise and urge relevant
departments all over the country to adjust the financial
expenditure structure conscientiously and increase the input of
funds for reemployment; the department will also stress on solving
impoverished people's problems in livelihood and production, guide
the local departments to work out reemployment-aid plan for the
unemployed who are at the age of 40 or 50, and strive to help over
1 million such middle-aged people reach reemployment.
It
is reported that up to the end of March, there were 4 million
laid-off workers from State-owned enterprises nationwide, 0.89
million less than that of the same period last year; there were
4.37 million recipients of unemployment premium, 0.88 million more
than that of the same period last year.
(China Daily May 1, 2003)