China's job market grows, pressure remains

China's job market showed some resilience in the first half despite economic difficulties, but officials warned Thursday that employment pressure remains high. Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security spokesman Yin Chengji said at a press conference that China created more jobs in the first half compared with the same period last year. Yin added that addressing employment-related challenges remains an arduous task. Figures from the ministry showed that China added 7.25 million jobs in the first six months of the year, an increase of 310,000 year on year. The registered urban unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent at the end of the second quarter. The government has set a goal of creating no less than 9 million jobs this year, with the full-year unemployment rate set to reach less than 4.6 percent. Yin said the service sector, particularly Internet-related businesses, has helped absorb new labor. He said the employment situation in east China has improved in the last two months, with a rebound in monthly figures. The number of newly-added jobs increased rapidly in underdeveloped west China, while that of central China remained stable in the first six months. To help more people find jobs, Yin said more efforts will made to provide training for workers, as demand for skilled labor remains high in some areas. He also called for encouraging more people to start small businesses. China's economic growth slowed to 7.6 percent in the first half from 7.7 percent for the first quarter.