A Tibetan official said Monday more than 6,000 college graduates in Tibet remain unemployed over the past years.

"The figure is not big at the moment, but it could grow much higher in the next five years, if the issue is not handled properly," said Odser, a deputy to the National People's Congress(NPC), at the ongoing annual NPC session.

The employment rate stood above 83 percent for college graduates in Tibet during the 2005-2010 period, he said, citing figures from his personal research.

About 69,000 students were expected to graduate from universities in Tibet in the coming five years, he said, noting the number of unemployed graduates will grow more according to the current employment rate.

To tackle the issue, Odser called for the establishment of a national coordination mechanism to enable college graduates in Tibet more access to employment market in other parts of China.

"Aside from easing Tibet's unemployment pressure, the move will also boost exchanges between Tibet and the rest of the country," he said.