摘要：China’s Two Sessions have just concluded. The government work report released by Premier Li Qiang detailed the comprehensive polic

宋 扬

中国人民大学国家发展与战略研究院研究员

经济学院教授

China’s Two Sessions have just concluded. The government work report released by Premier Li Qiang detailed the comprehensive policies adopted by the Chinese government in 2024, with a strong emphasis on advancing high-quality and full employment. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 2024 identified promoting high-quality and full employment as the core objective of China’s future employment policies. This article elaborates on the essence of high-quality and full employment, highlights China’s achievements and key policies in advancing this goal, and aims to offer policy insights for the global economy amid downward pressures.

Defining High-Quality and Full Employment

At the macro level, high-quality and full employment requires ample job opportunities, equitable employment conditions, optimized employment structures, efficient job-worker matching, and harmonious labor relations. At the micro level, it demands that workers not only have jobs but also enjoy stable employment, reasonable incomes, reliable social security, and occupational safety. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, employment has been prioritized in national governance. By steadfastly implementing an employment-first strategy, China has maintained overall employment stability and achieved relatively full employment for its population of over 1.4 billion. Key achievements include:

1 Continuous expansion of urban employment:

Urban areas have added an average of 13 million jobs annually, with the urban surveyed unemployment rate hovering around 5.2% in recent years, reflecting near-full employment.

2 Optimized employment structure:

The tertiary sector has become the largest “absorber” of employment. Its share of total employment rose from 36.1% in 2012 to 47.1% in 2022.

3 Stable employment for key groups

Since 2012, over 19.47 million people facing employment difficulties have secured jobs, averaging 1.77 million annually.

4 Enhanced workforce skills

The proportion of employees with college degrees or higher increased from 12.9% in 2012 to 23.2% in 2021.

5 Improved employment services:

The number of human resource service agencies nationwide grew from 28,000 in 2012 to 63,000 in 2022.

Key Measures to Promote High-Quality and Full Employment

To address economic headwinds, China has adopted five major strategies:

1 Upholding the employment-first strategy:

The concept of “employment priority” has become a cornerstone of China’s employment policies. In 2019, China elevated employment policy to the macroeconomic level, aligning it with fiscal and monetary policies to stabilize the economy.This approach underscores the urgency of addressing employment challenges during economic downturns. Policies such as job stabilization subsidies, tax relief, and employment grants are fully leveraged to assist critical industries, small and medium-sized enterprises.

2 Developing sound mechanisms for promoting high-quality and full employment:

The Chinese government places high importance on improving employment systems and mechanisms, viewing them as crucial measures to advance comprehensive deepening of reforms, drive high-quality economic development, and promote equal opportunities. Key initiatives include building a unified and standardized human resource market system, eliminating employment discrimination, and refining public employment service systems. For example, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council released the Opinions on Implementing an Employment-First Strategy to Promote High-Quality and Full Employment in 2024, reiterating the need to protect workers’ equal employment rights, remove unreasonable restrictions hindering equal employment, and eliminate workplace discrimination.

3 Enhancing vocational training and incentives:

Large-scale skills development programs address talent shortages in manufacturing and services. Skill-based compensation systems are being accelerated to reward productivity, expertise, and innovation in order to ensure that those who work harder, possess higher skills, or drive innovation are duly rewarded.

4 Strengthening protections for vulnerable groups:

Special efforts focus on aiding college graduates, veterans, rural migrant workers, and those lifted out of poverty, alongside tailored support for older workers, people with disabilities, and the long-term unemployed.

5 Protecting workers' rights and interests:

Safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of workers is not only an essential requirement for promoting high-quality and full employment but also a core measure to enhance workers' well-being. In the era of digital economy, Premier Li Qiang emphasized in China’s Two Sessions to strengthen protections for the rights and interests of flexible and new-economy workers, and expand pilot programs for occupational injury coverage.

Conclusion

China’s experience demonstrates that integrating employment priorities with macroeconomic stability fosters resilient labor markets. By refining policies, expanding services, and safeguarding workers’ rights, China’s approach offers a model for navigating employment challenges in a complex global economy.

文章来源：巴西新闻网

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来源：人大国发院