China headhunter SunTzu Recruit has learned from the press conference held by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on the 23rd that the employment situation in China remained stable in the first quarter of this year. The human resources department has continuously improved the policy service system by issuing notices on the standardized construction of the gig economy market, opinions on the grassroots-level public employment service, organizing Spring Breeze Action, the “Spring Warmth for Migrant Workers” service action, and special recruitment services for college graduates. These efforts have promoted the implementation of employment policies, and the matching of human resources supply and demand has steadily improved. From January to March, 3.03 million new jobs were created in urban areas nationwide.

Key Groups See Improved Employment, Rising Recruitment Demand

Chen Yongjia, Deputy Director of the Employment Promotion Department of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, reported that due to the concerted efforts of all parties, China achieved a good start in employment this year, maintaining overall stability. Specifically, the main employment indicators ran smoothly, with 3.03 million new urban jobs created from January to March, an increase of 60,000 year-on-year. The demand for recruitment has risen, with over 43 million job positions released during the Spring Breeze Action, up 10% year-on-year. Employment for key groups has also improved, with an increase in the scale of rural laborers working outside their home areas. As of the end of March, the number of people from poverty-stricken backgrounds working was 30.49 million, surpassing the target of 30 million. From January to March, 1.13 million unemployed people were re-employed, reaching a high level compared to the same period in recent years.

Positive Employment Outlook Attributed to Economic and Policy Factors

Chen Yongjia analyzed that the positive start in employment is due to economic recovery, increased consumption in the service sector, rapid growth in industry, and the continuous cultivation of new productivity drivers. The proactive and intensive release of policies aimed at stabilizing growth and benefiting people’s livelihoods, improving the business environment, and supporting the private economy also contributed to this positive start. Additionally, heartfelt and meticulous services, such as the comprehensive implementation of the Spring Breeze Action, organizing 64,000 recruitment events, and providing transportation services, have effectively facilitated labor mobility and employment.

Future Plans for Stable Employment and Development

Looking forward, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security will make every effort to stabilize employment, ensure labor supply, and promote development to achieve the annual employment goals:

• Support Stable and Expanded Employment: Continue to implement policies like reducing unemployment and work injury insurance rates, and improve policies on job stabilization refunds, special loans, and employment subsidies. Strengthen support for private economies, small and micro enterprises, and other business entities. Promote the “direct subsidy and quick processing” measures to fully unleash the job stabilization effects.
• Broaden Employment Channels: Implement actions to promote employment in advanced manufacturing, creating more high-quality job opportunities. Deepen the implementation of entrepreneurship promotion actions for key groups, prepare for the “China Chuangyi” Entrepreneurship and Innovation Competition, and amplify the employment-driving effect of entrepreneurship.
• Enhance Precision Services: Continue to carry out “10+N” special employment service activities, such as the recruitment month for private enterprises. Implement policy measures to push public employment services to the grassroots level, build employment service stations close to home, and create 15-minute employment service circles. Utilize over 6,900 gig economy markets to provide efficient, convenient, and precise employment services for enterprises and workers.
• Support Key Groups: Strengthen policies to promote youth employment, implement a plan to recruit one million employment internship positions, and carry out special assistance actions for youth facing employment difficulties. Expand employment channels by all possible means. Strengthen employment support for people from poverty-stricken backgrounds and migrant workers by implementing actions to prevent poverty through employment. Enhance support for employment assistance to ensure the livelihood of the most vulnerable groups.

Advancing Grassroots Public Employment Services and Occupational Injury Protection Pilot Programs

In February, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued the “Opinions on Promoting Public Employment Services to the Grassroots Level.” What key measures were proposed, and how will they be implemented?

Chen Yongjia stated that grassroots employment services are essential for promoting employment and are an important part of national basic public services. The opinions aim to address insufficient service capacity, lack of precision, and inadequate support at the grassroots level. The goal is to build a batch of exemplary grassroots employment service outlets within 2-3 years, forming an integrated grassroots employment service network that is connected vertically and horizontally, enhancing the balance and accessibility of public employment services.

The next steps will focus on five areas:

1. Expanding Service Outlets: Establish grassroots employment service points in densely populated areas and industrial clusters to form an accessible employment service circle covering urban and rural areas.
2. Promoting Service Information: Implement a “big data + thorough work” service model, publish job information online, facilitate effective supply-demand matching, and support precise employment services and key assistance at the street (township) and community (village) levels.
3. Enhancing Service Capacity: Deploy county-level public employment service agency staff to grassroots service points and provide business training for grassroots staff to improve professionalism.
4. Adapting Service Models: Explore convenient measures like appointment services, door-to-door services, agency services, and remote services.
5. Supporting Service Supply: Establish a government-purchased public employment service mechanism, forming a diversified and multi-modal grassroots employment service supply model.

In improving the employment environment and better protecting the rights and interests of new employment forms, Li Xinwang, Director of the Department of Labor Relations of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, introduced measures to strengthen labor guidance, formulate opinions on protecting the labor rights of new employment forms, and issue special protection policies for key groups such as food delivery workers and ride-hailing drivers. These include defining corporate responsibilities for labor protection, guiding platform enterprises and their labor partners to sign labor contracts or written agreements with workers, reasonably determining labor remuneration, scientifically arranging work hours, and formulating and revising platform labor rules such as order distribution and remuneration payment. Additionally, a multi-channel rights protection service will be established in collaboration with relevant departments.

Advancing Occupational Injury Protection Pilot Programs

In July 2022, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, along with relevant departments, launched a pilot program in seven provinces, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Jiangsu, covering seven large platform enterprises. Experiences will be summarized, policies improved, and the pilot scope expanded in due course. Channels for flexible employment personnel to participate in employee pension insurance at their place of employment will be actively opened, improving the level of social insurance services and enhancing the convenience of insurance participation.

Cultivating Leading Talent in Advanced Manufacturing and Modern Service Industries

At the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, together with relevant departments, issued the “Notice on the Implementation of the High-skilled Leading Talent Cultivation Plan,” proposing to jointly implement the high-skilled leading talent cultivation plan from 2024 to 2026. This plan will focus on major national strategies, major projects, and key industries, mobilizing and relying on various social forces to cultivate leading talent in advanced manufacturing, modern service industries, and other sectors. The goal is to cultivate over 15,000 leading talents and approximately 5 million high-skilled talents within three years.

Wang Xiaojun, Deputy Director of the Department of Vocational Ability Construction of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, introduced that the ministry will work with relevant departments and industry enterprises to implement responsibilities and promote the cultivation of leading talents:

• Formulate Special Cultivation Plans: Establish a leading talent cultivation information database, including highly skilled and outstanding young talents and top performers in various vocational skills competitions.
• Enhance Cultivation Efforts: Support enterprises in collaborating with educational and research institutions to improve the technical R&D level of leading talents through cooperative training and project collaboration.
• Strengthen Platform Construction: Priority will be given to creating skill master studios led by leading talents involved in major national strategies and projects, with funding support for eligible candidates.
• Provide Support Services: Guide local human resources departments to strengthen skill talent service windows and skill master homes, creating conditions to help leading talents participate in major projects and solve production challenges.
• Foster a Positive Atmosphere: Highlight the work achievements and growth experiences of leading talents, share skill stories, and promote skill stars.

In June, the second “Belt and Road” International Skills Competition will be held in Chongqing. “This competition features 18 events, covering both widely recognized and emerging industries and technologies, such as beauty and information network cabling, as well as new energy vehicle technology,” said Wang Xiaojun.

The competition has widely invited participants from “Belt and Road” countries and WorldSkills member countries (regions), surpassing the scale of the previous event. The competition will use AI-assisted judging and digital event management systems for the first time in an international skills competition, empowering the entire process with digitalization.

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