Better employment and working conditions remain firm goal

China will redouble its efforts to stabilize the job market this year and promote full and higher-quality employment to ensure people enjoy greater work satisfaction and safety, a Government Work Report released on Wednesday said.

A target has been set to keep the urban surveyed unemployment rate around 5.5 percent and foresees more than 12 million people taking jobs in urban areas, the report said.

Last year, about 12.56 million people took such jobs, and the urban surveyed unemployment rate averaged about 5.1 percent.

Employment is crucial to people's well-being, the report said, and the country will continue to implement an employment-first policy this year and channel more financial support to help reach a full and high-quality employment this year.

More tax breaks, subsidies, and fee cuts will be granted to companies in key fields and small and medium-sized companies. The report said the government will give stronger support to labor-intensive companies that can create more jobs.

The government will also balance the relationship between applications of new technology and employee job relocation and improve job services for college graduates, young entrepreneurs, demobilized military personnel and migrant workers, it said.

More help will be given to those finding it hard to obtain work because of age or disability, and to the long-term unemployed, it added.

The government will improve protections for those engaged in flexible work and those in new forms of employment, and will tighten controls related to improper or illegal behavior by employers, including failure to pay employees and job discrimination, the report said.

More vocational and working skills improvement campaigns will be organized this year to produce more skilled talent for the manufacturing and service sectors. The government will develop a skills-based pay system so that skilled workers, the industrious and those who are innovative are better paid, it said.