China to create more than 50 million jobs by 2020

China plans to create more than 50 million jobs in urban areas during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) while curbing the urban registered unemployment rate to within 5 percent, according to the 13th Five-Year Plan on employment released by the State Council on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 13.14 million jobs were created in urban areas last year with an urban unemployment rate of 4.02 percent, beating the target of 4.5 percent.

Meanwhile, the plan stipulates that steady employment opportunities should be provided to key groups such as college graduates and migrant workers and 10 million people will be lifted from poverty under this plan.

The document also urges efforts to improve the business environment and human resource structure. Educated and skilled workers should account for a large share of the country's work force.

The plan calls for balanced growth of new and traditional sectors to drive employment while policies will be adopted to guide labor-intensive industries to move to the less-developed central, western, and northeastern regions.

The plan was approved in principle as a guideline to promote employment and entrepreneurship at a State Council executive meeting on Jan 18, which was presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.