Employment and social aid

With inflation in China at 11-year highs, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security said minimum wages should continue to be "adjusted reasonably".

China had an urban jobless rate of 4 percent at the end of 2007, but the ministry set the target for this year at 4.5 percent, saying the employment situation was "very severe".

About 20 million new job seekers enter the market each year, but China can provide only about 12 million posts, said Minister of Labor and Social Security Tian Chengping.

At the same time, employers complain they cannot find enough skilled workers.

"This can only be addressed with more skills training," Tian told the news conference.

Meanwhile, Li Xueju, minister of civil affairs, told the same conference that China had set up a comprehensive social aid system to protect those stuck in poverty and caught out by emergencies.

The country has set up a long-term social aid system, consisting of medical aid and legal aid, with abundant financial input from the central and local governments, according to Li.

(China Daily March 10, 2008)