Employment opportunities in agriculture will decrease sharply, while the volume in the tertiary industry is expected to grow dramatically. In the secondary industry, job opportunities will increase in some sectors, Li Binsheng, deputy director of Policy Research Department under the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) was quoted as saying.

"The industries, including computer, automobiles, electronics, petrochemicals, steel and machinery, were started late in China and are not very developed or competitive," he said, adding that they are more likely to be badly influenced.

With a huge population, China has been under employment pressure for a long time. Many workers have been laid off or transferred to other jobs when their enterprises have been restructured or reorganized.

( January 24, 2002)