Targeted measures shore up job market

BEIJING — China is reinforcing its job market with a mix of targeted policies and robust financial support, underscoring the country's efforts to promote high-quality and sufficient employment.

The country has created more than 12 million new urban jobs annually since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), laying a firm foundation for improving living standards and driving development momentum.

In East China's Jiangxi province, Jiujiang Golden Egret Hard Material Co Ltd recently received nearly 190,000 yuan ($26,528) in unemployment insurance refunds.

The funds, earmarked to help cover social security contributions for employees, have eased operating pressures and boosted confidence, according to the company's human resources manager Yan Zhiqiang.

The company is among more than 6,200 firms in the city of Jiujiang benefiting from the first batch of unemployment insurance refunds this year, totaling over 58 million yuan and helping safeguard more than 170,000 jobs.

Enterprises play a central role in keeping the job market stable. In July, China issued a notice detailing measures to help companies in job retention and expansion, including higher unemployment insurance refunds, phased deferrals of social security payments, and broader subsidy coverage.

Under the new policy, the maximum refund ratio for micro, small and medium-sized businesses has been lifted from 60 percent to 90 percent of the previous year's unemployment insurance payments, while for large enterprises the cap has been raised from 30 percent to 50 percent.

"Such differentiated measures provide precise support for companies of various sizes, helping them retain and expand their workforce," said Zhang Zhanwu, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Labor Science.

Official data showed that in the first half of the year, cuts in unemployment insurance rates saved firms over 90 billion yuan in labor costs. Meanwhile, 6.2 billion yuan in unemployment insurance refunds were granted to enterprises, and 11.3 billion yuan was spent on training and other pro-employment programs.

In Zhenjiang, East China's Jiangsu province, schools and enterprises are joining hands to offer customized training programs, boosting graduates' chances of landing jobs. In Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, training is being steered toward emerging sectors such as the digital economy and smart manufacturing.

China is stepping up efforts to ease structural employment mismatches, adapting to rapid technological and industrial changes by improving job surveys, issuing lists of urgently needed positions, and strengthening foresight in human resources development.

To address worker shortages in manufacturing, a key sector for both job creation and talent development, China has launched pilot programs in about 30 cities to integrate human resource services with manufacturing development.

A guideline was issued in June to launch a nationwide campaign to upgrade vocational skills through 2027, aiming to expand the pool of skilled workers in manufacturing and services.

China now has more than 200 million skilled workers, including over 60 million highly skilled professionals, a vital force for building a strong manufacturing base and advancing high-quality growth, official data showed.

Xinhua