Employment challenges remain, minister says

China has made great progress in stabilizing employment but still face critical challenges, Zhang Jinan, Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, said on Tuesday.

Zhang said that about 13.61 million urban jobs were created in 2018, an increase of 100,000 more than in 2017. The registered urban unemployment rate also declined to 3.8 percent by the end of 2018.

However, the country faces continued employment pressure as it has about a 900 million workforce. Also, employment prospects and job security are not only concerning job-seekers but employers who may face an imbalanced talent supply.

This year, the employment-first policy remains a priority for the ministry and it will work to ensure employment for key groups, including college graduates, migrant workers, retired military personnel, and people living in impoverished circumstances, according to Zhang.

The ministry will also improve educational training, with 100 billion yuan ($14.9 billion) allocated from the surplus in unemployment insurance funds to offer training to a targeted attendance of 15 million.

"A highly skilled workforce is in short supply in China, and one skilled worker usually has two job offers on average," he said.

Also, the ministry will lower the share borne by employers in basic aged-care insurance and strengthen worker's rights protection this year to secure a better environment for employment.