宋 揚

中國人民大學國家發展與戰略研究院研究員

經濟學院教授

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.

文章來源：巴西新聞網

微信編輯：張菁菁

人大國發院是中國人民大學集全校之力重點打造的中國特色新型高校智庫，現任理事長為學校黨委書記張東剛，現任院長為校長林尚立。2015年入選全國首批“國家高端智庫”建設試點單位，并入選全球智庫百強，2018年初在“中國大學智庫機構百強排行榜”中名列第一。2019年在國家高端智庫綜合評估中入選第一檔次梯隊，是唯一入選第一檔次梯隊的高校智庫。

人大國發院積極打造“新平臺、大網絡，跨學科、重交叉，促創新、高產出”的高端智庫平臺。圍繞經濟治理與經濟發展、政治治理與法治建設、社會治理與社會創新、公共外交與國際關系四大研究領域，匯聚全校一流學科優質資源，在基礎建設、決策咨詢、公共外交、理論創新、輿論引導和內部治理等方面取得了顯著成效。人大國發院以“中國特色新型高校智庫的引領者”為目標，扎根中國大地，堅守國家戰略，秉承時代使命，致力于建設成為具有全球影響力的世界一流大學智庫。

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