Since the SARS epidemic has made the unemployment in some
industries and regions reach the warning limit, experts have
suggested that government quickly set up an early-warning system to
strengthen the urgent countermeasures, People's Daily reported
recently, quoting the words of an official with the Ministry of
Labor and Social Security.
The SARS epidemic has exerted great pressures on job market this
year, affecting millions of laid-off employees and graduates.
During the SARS crisis, some regions in China adopted emergency
measures, although these measures were not systematic enough. When
suffering such unexpected incidents, some developed countries
usually adopt emergency measures to prevent large-scale
unemployment, such as providing unemployment aid, creating new jobs
and adopting SME aid plans.
The proposed early warning and countermeasures system includes the
following five aspects.
First, to establish an early-warning system and work out emergency
plans. Experts hold that the system should monitor unexpected
incidents, industries hit by these incidents and employment status
in related regions. The indicators should include details of
unemployment rate, unemployment cycle, status of laid-off
employees, income of middle- and low-classes, industry prosperity
and employment environment. Once the unemployment exceeds the
warning limit, the system should hand an evaluation report to
relevant departments and immediately send out warning signals.
Second, to adopt active measures to keep the stability of
employment. Government should guide or intervene in the laying off
of employees.
Third, to aid those that have suffered the most of unexpected
incidents, offering necessary job assistance while ensuring their
basic livings and medical care.
Fourth, be prepared for job-creating. Government should help those
worst-hit industries to make revival plans. Meanwhile, all the
preferential policies should be fully implemented. For those
reemployed who have been seriously hit, preferential policies for
them, like tax exemption and reduction and small-loan offering,
should be continued. For those who have lost their jobs again,
government should put them under the reemployment project and offer
aids.
Fifth, to set up an emergency control system. The system should
ensure all the rules in line with the law, and reduce the losses to
the limit.
In
addition, joint conferences between the central government and
provincial governments should be held to ensure the smooth
operation of the early-warning system and relevant budget.
Experts also suggested that the unemployment insurance system be
improved. First, when unemployment status is warned, the provincial
government should be authorized to use the dole to keep enterprise
employment and aid people in need. At the same time, the provincial
government can decide if they should suspend the enterprises'
payment of unemployment insurance fees according to local
conditions.
(China.org.cn by Tang Fuchun, July 3, 2003)