24 million expected to seek jobs next year

By Tom Qian  |   2008-12-24  |     ONLINE EDITION

ABOUT 24 million people will look for jobs next year, a newspaper reported today.

Among them 7 million are graduates, a central government official said yesterday at a seminar on human resources and environment development, according to a 21st Century Business Herald report.

There will be 13 million new jobs in cities and towns nationwide next year and 8 million newly-unemployed, Yu Faming, an official with Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, told the seminar.

Due to the global financial crisis, employment opportunities have declined dramatically, which makes 2009 an especially difficult year for people seeking work, Yu said.

About 10 percent of farmers, or more than 10 million nationwide, have left cities and returned to their hometowns, according to the report.

Among them, those who have lost their land have no means to make a living in their hometown. This group is expected to seek work after the Spring Festival ends next month.

Large numbers of these farmers may remain in cities without a job, which could lead to social problems, Yu said.