CPPCC to 'support employment growth' with suggestions, consultations

Political advisors will continue to put forth suggestions and strategies to promote and enlarge employment, a spokesperson for the Second Session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) said on Sunday, addressing a matter of great importance.

The National Committee of the CPPCC will conduct a wide range of work including the betterment of the support system for the employment of college graduates, conduct more studies on job market stability, and improve and optimize a lifelong vocational training system in 2024, said Liu Jieyi, spokesperson for the second session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC, at a press conference.

The top political advisory body will also hold broad consultations to address structural issues affecting employment to help implement the employment-first strategy mapped out by the central government, Liu said.

In 2023, local governments at all levels spent more than 300 billion yuan ($42.21 billion) worth of direct funding to support job creation and entrepreneurship. New urban jobs created in 2023 stood at 12.44 million amid support measures aimed at helping college graduates land jobs and employment incentives for people in need both in urban and rural areas.

The hard-won achievement has laid a solid foundation for the further strengthening of the positive momentum of the job market, according to Liu.

In 2023, political advisors submitted 91 proposals ranging from broadening employment channels for college graduates to enhancing employment flexibility to ways to better leverage the digital economy to address the difficulties faced by college graduates seeking jobs and companies looking for workers, said Liu.

For the acute shortages in finding enough seasoned technicians, political advisors held designated seminars to discuss fostering of an incentive system for innovation-oriented industrial workers. Many of the proposals were translated into government actions.

Liu Yonghao, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and chairman of New Hope Group, suggested that China should cultivate more talent with more incentives and support measures to promote rural revitalization and the building of a robust agricultural industry.

The second session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC will begin on Monday.