China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) is expected to create more job opportunities, according to a report published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

The report titled "Report on China's Population and Labor" says China's WTO entry is expected to add two to three million job opportunities annually in the long-term.

However, in the short term, WTO entry will cause three to four million to lose their jobs in urban areas annually, the report says. The unemployment rate therefore is expected to edge up by two percent.

The registered unemployment rate in China's urban areas was 3.6 percent at the end of last year. The Chinese government plans to restrict the unemployment rate in urban areas to within five percent during the 2001-2005 period.

The report says that in around 10 years, China's WTO entry is expected to create more job opportunities as trade grows, and readjustment and upgrading of industrial structure intensifies. Further development of labor-intensive industries, tertiary industries and small enterprises is also expected to add more job opportunities in China.

In three to four years, China's WTO entry will greatly affect China's traditional industries, breaking original employment structures.

The report says that agriculture will be mostly affected, with the number of jobs in the sector dropping by approximately 10 million.

China's agriculture will encounter a large amount of imported produce and more difficulties in exporting produce.