China's urban unemployment rate has jumped for the first time since 2003. The increase in unemployment comes amidst an export slump and a global economic slowdown. The country's top human resources and social security authority has pledged to make more of an effort to help people find jobs.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced on Tuesday that China's urban unemployment rate was 4.2 percent by the end of 2008. This is up 0.2 percentage points year-on-year. The ministry's spokesman said more than 11.1 million urban jobs were created last year. This is 11 percent more than the government target. He said the ministry aims to keep the registered jobless rate below 4.6 percent and will provide 9 million new urban jobs this year. The number is 1 million less than last year's target given the current global financial crisis. The spokesman also said the government will spare no effort in helping certain groups such as college graduates and migrant workers find jobs.

Yin Chengji, spokesman of Ministry of HR & Social Security, says, "the human resources and social security departments at all levels should give top priority to college graduates employment in the year ahead. Related departments must seriously carry out the policies issued by the State Council to help graduates find jobs. "

Statistics from the ministry showed that 10 million migrant workers had returned to their rural homes without jobs as of December. Weakening foreign demand has hit companies in the coastal industrial areas where most migrant workers had been employed.

Yin Chengji said that China had reacted in an active and powerful way to the unemployment effect from the global financial crisis.

Yin Chengji says, "we have worked out special measures to help migrant workers find employment. We have launched projects to give professional training to them and support them to start businesses. "

Yin said local governments have stepped up plans to help employment. These include monitoring job markets and offering free or subsidized training to avert large-scale job losses.

(CCTV January 21, 2009)