North China's Tianjin municipality has launched a series of policies to encourage the re-employment of laid-off workers.

Tianjin created 180,000 jobs in 2003, providing employment for 120,000 laid-off workers, said an official with the municipal labor and social security bureau.

The official said the number of people living on the unemployment benefit was reduced to 96,000 from last year's 124,000.

Next year the Tianjin municipal government would give a monthly subsidy of 150 yuan (US$18.1) to those who earned less than 500 yuan (US$60).

The municipal labor and social security bureau would help to deal with re-employed workers' social insurance, including pension, unemployment compensation and medical insurance, the official said.

The municipal government would pay a maximum subsidy of 3000 yuan (US$363) to unemployed citizens looking for jobs to ensure their basic living standards and encourage them to attend vocational training.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2003)