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13.1 million new jobs created in 2013
史上最難就業年 新增就業崗位逾千萬
As China’s GDP growth continues to slow down, there is growing concern both in and out of China that the country is facing a bleak economic prospect. A set of figures from China’s statistics bureau, however, shows the risks are still within control.
If you consider China’s population of over 1.3 billion people, even a 1 percent rise in the jobless rate means tens of millions of people have to struggle to make ends meet.
Figures show that the overall situation of China’s job market in 2013 was stable... and that some notable achievements were made.
Li Zhong, spokesperson of Ministry of Human Resources & Social Security, said, "In 2010, we created 11.7 million new jobs, with over a 10 percent GDP growth rate. In 2011, 12 million jobs were created, but GDP growth was reduced to 9.2 percent. In 2012, 12.7 million jobs were added, with an even slower GDP growth rate at 7.8 percent. This year, we created a record high of 13 million jobs, with GDP growth rate reduced to just 7.7 percent. This shows our economic growth is becoming more and more capable of creating jobs."
Earlier in 2013, we paid a visit to the homes of new college graduates in Beijing. No longer eligible to live at the schools’ dorms after graduation, they were making do in small apartments in the capital’s suburbs. Eight young women had to share one bedroom.
Getting a job, it seemed, didn’t translate into decent income.
"Every night twenty girls have to queue just to take a shower. It’s terrible," said Beijing university graduate.
Officials say they are actively working to improve people’s incomes. The average growth rate of disposable incomes in 2013 was 8.1 percent... faster than GDP growth.
That growth, however, translates poorly when it comes to wages. The average annual salary for Chinese people is only 30,000 yuan, or 5,000 US dollars per year. That’s even lower than the wages of taxi drivers in South Africa.
"Our work in 2014 will continue to be focused on creating jobs by all possible means. Meanwhile, we are actively improving the social insurance," Li said.
The world’s most populous country is trying to develop the economy by boosting consumption... But many say that unless more Chinese people are working, and earning, it will be hard for them to really start spending.
