All government departments must work hard to help unemployed people find jobs and further strengthen the building of a social security system, China's Premier Zhu Rongji told a conference on re-employment which ended on Friday in Beijing.
Zhu said that starting in 1997 the country had gradually set up a series of systems to guarantee a basic livelihood for laid-off workers and help them find new jobs through multiple channels.
He pointed out that governments at all levels must be fully prepared to deal with the unemployment issue which would exist for a long period of time since there was oversupply of labor in China.
The focus should be on the development of the service sector, medium and small-sized enterprises and the private sector, which were more flexible and capable of offering more job opportunities.
It was also necessary to cultivate a mature job market which could regulate the supply and demand of labor, while the government should also promote employment.
All government departments should conscientiously carry out policies issued by the central government and continue to provide a thoughtful service for laid-off workers, Zhu said.
Vice President Hu Jintao presided over Friday's meeting and also delivered an important speech urging serious study and implementation of the spirit of the conference.
Wei Jianxing and Li Lanqing, both Standing Committee members of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attended the meeting.
(Xinhua News Agency September 13, 2002)
