China improves public services to bolster employment

BEIJING -- China on Monday introduced a guideline aimed at providing more "accessible, equitable and professional" public services to bolster employment.

The guideline, issued by five state organs including the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, outlines 20 measures to advance fairness, inclusivity and the use of digital technologies.

Specifically, each provincial-level region should improve service standardization by developing a unified public service catalog, the guideline says, adding that services across different regions should be further coordinated.

The guideline also stresses the importance of fully publishing employment information, while calling for the "proactive and timely inclusion" of those facing employment difficulties in assistance programs.

China's job market has remained generally stable recently, with the surveyed urban unemployment rate on average down from 5.2 percent in March to 5.1 percent in April, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Huang Junmei, an official with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said that overall employment challenges persist, with structural problems continuing to loom large.

Official data shows that the number of college graduates in China is likely to reach 12.22 million in 2025, an increase of 430,000 from last year.

Public services can help more effectively match supply and demand in the human resources market, thereby alleviating these structural problems, Huang added.