A Chinese expert predicted the job hunting pressure in China,
with a rocketing increase in the active labor force, will reach its
climax in 2006, the Beijing-based China Youth Daily
reported.
In 2006, the number of newly-added active labor force in China
will peak and then continue to decline, said Du Yang, director of
the Research Institute of Population and Human Resources of the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
By the end of the11th Five-Year Outline (2006-2010), the
newly-added active labor force will decrease to 8 million, Du was
quoted by the paper as saying.
China has encountered unprecedented pressure for employment during
the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005), said Zhou Tianyong, an expert
with the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central
Committee.
"It may be almost the same during the 11th Five-Year Outline with
newly-added urban laborers of around 5 million to 5.5 million every
year," Zhou said, stressing that "actually, every year 40 million
to 50 million laborers need jobs considering the urbanization
process and reemployment."
Zhou said the only solution to China's job-hunting pressure is to
develop self-employed jobs, small or medium-sized companies.
In 2004, China's private companies, limited-liability companies and
self-employed businesses provided 80 percent of China's job
opportunities. with private companies ranking first, according to
government statistics.
Zhou also cited the examples of developed countries like Britain,
Germany and the United States, saying that 65 percent to 80 percent
of employees work for small or medium-sized companies there.
Zhou urged the government to take more concrete measures to
facilitate the development of small or medium-sized
businesses.
Cai Chuang, director of the (CASS) Research Institute of Population
and Labor Economy said economic growth in the past was mainly due
to China's sound population structure.
"China has plenty of labor, supply of human resources and
professional personnel in the past, but the situation will change
in the future, since the active labor force's supply is not
unlimited," he said.
According to the United Nations' statistics, China has become an
aging society since 2000.
Cai stressed that the quality of labor should take the place of
quantity in the future.
(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2005)