Dingduan News:

As outlined in this year's government work report, key development targets this year include a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5% and the creation of over 12 million new urban jobs. What is the state of employment currently? Thank you.

Fu Linghui:

Thank you for your question. Employment impacts people's livelihoods and is a concern for everyone involved. At the start of this year, relevant departments began implementing proactive measures to stabilize and promote employment. They have supported diverse business entities in adding jobs to drive the expansion and upgrading of employment opportunities. Overall, employment has remained largely stable. Based on past experience, January and February are typically the months when migrant workers return home before the Spring Festival and then return to work after it. During this period, there are certain fluctuations in the supply and demand of the labor market, which often lead to a seasonal rise in the surveyed urban unemployment rate. As workers gradually return to their posts following the Spring Festival, the urban unemployment rate typically decreases. This year's circumstances have largely followed this trend. In January and February, the national surveyed urban unemployment rate increased. In February, the rate stood at 5.4%, which was 0.2 percentage point higher than the previous month. Overall, the fluctuation remains within a normal range, and the overall stability of employment has not changed. On a two-month average, the surveyed urban unemployment rate for January and February was 5.3%, roughly the same as for the same period last year.

However, it should also be noted that stabilizing and promoting employment this year will continue to require substantial and sustained efforts. The current international environment is complex and challenging, and the foundation for China's economic recovery and improvement remains fragile.

This year, ensuring stable employment will be crucial, given the 12.22 million new college graduates, the need to maintain over 30 million jobs for those lifted out of  poverty, and the substantial number of rural migrant workers. Consequently, this year's government work report emphasizes the need for increased efforts to stabilize and expand employment, refine the employment-first policy, promote full employment and improve job quality. Furthermore, it proposes implementing supportive plans in key sectors, conducting extensive vocational training programs, enhancing services for employment and new businesses, and bolstering protections for workers' rights and interests. These measures will support high-quality and full employment.

In the next phase, as China expands demand across all sectors and makes concerted efforts to drive high-quality development — through the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, as well as the cultivation and growth of emerging industries and new business formats — a solid foundation will be established for promoting employment. In addition, the employment-first policy continues to take effect, and the employment environment is improving. These factors contribute to maintaining overall employment stability. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Due to time constraints, we will take one last question.