Xu Shaoshi, Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, attends a press conference March 6, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

There will not be large-scale layoffs in China due to the efforts of reducing the industrial overcapacity, China's top economic planning body said on Sunday.

Xu Shaoshi, Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a press conference Sunday that China has been gradually absorbing the overcapacity over the past couple of years since 2013 when it stopped giving green lights to new projects in overcapacity industries.

"On the whole, I'm optimistic about China's job market," said Xu, adding that economic growth will create more jobs and help offset the impact of capacity cuts.

China aims to keep its economy growing by at least 6.5 percent over the next five years while pushing hard to create more jobs and restructure inefficient industries, Premier Li Keqiang said on Saturday.

"In our society or among foreigners, there are concerns over a second wave of massive layoffs in China...I think such a wave will not occur in China," said Xu.

The first wave of layoffs occurred in the late 1990s when loss-making State-owned enterprises underwent mergers and acquisitions and tens of millions of workers lost their "iron rice bowls".

Xu cited five reasons for his optimism.