State-level body to boost work opportunities

19 ministries to coordinate decisions about the economy and employment

A State-level leading group on employment has been created to help coordinate government policies in boosting employment, according to a recent notice by the General Office of the State Council.

Chaired by Vice-Premier Hu Chunhua, the group includes senior officials from 19 ministries in the sectors of human resources and social security, science and technology, education and finance.

It shows that the government is prioritizing employment and intends to change policies in this area, said Yang Weiguo, dean of the School of Labor and Human Resources at Renmin University of China in Beijing.

"It will help ministries coordinate and make more accurate judgments about the relationship between the economy and employment, which will benefit the job market," Yang said.

The current job market in China is complex, influenced by the changing international economic landscape, digital technology revolution and domestic policies on employment, he said.

Still, the nation faces new employment pressures, with at least 15 million people projected to enter the job market this year, intensifying the already competitive situation.

Yang Yansui, a professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said the transformation of social production models and the population structure are forcing changes in employment.

"Changes in production technologies - for example, artificial intelligence in manufacturing - and an aging population reduce the need for certain labor-intensive jobs, or may even eliminate them," she said. "However, demand for workers in service industries, such as healthcare, is increasing.

"It requires people in the labor force to change their ideas when looking for jobs to better adapt to the changes. Education is also important to guide people to seek suitable jobs."

Yang said the most important source of income for most people is their salary, so employment is of great importance to the nation's economic and social stability.

"The leading group, from my perspective, assumes responsibility to coordinate the policies of different ministries on employment, which is good for reducing the current stress in the job market," she said.

Employment is being emphasized by the government this year. Its employment-first policy was included as one of the State's three macro policies for the first time in March, together with fiscal and monetary policies.

The government has also taken active measures to expand employment by improving job-seekers' skills and their capability to start their own businesses.

In late April, the State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang concluded that 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) of unemployment insurance should be used to enhance workers' skills. Training courses are expected to cover 15 million people this year, and 50 million people over the next three years.

People in poor financial condition and key groups, such as college graduates and demobilized military members, are eligible for the training.

Yang, the dean at Renmin University, said promoting startups is also important in a competitive job market.

"More financial investment should be channeled into innovative talent production to balance high-quality employment and idea-driven economic development," he said.