China to launch ‘2024 Spring Breeze Action’ in Jan-Apr to create 30m job openings: labor ministry

China plans to launch a "2024 Spring Breeze Action" from late January to early April, aiming to create 30 million job openings. Experts noted on Wednesday that the initiative is to stabilize employment and boost the economic recovery as the new year begins.

The initiative targets rural labor and businesses with a shortfall of workers, focusing on guiding migrant workers returning to urban centers, promoting local employment and entrepreneurship and organizing recruitment services for businesses, Yun Donglai, a deputy director of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security's employment promotion department, said at a press conference.

The action has six key aspects. First, it involves accurately identifying needs across the labor market by delving into rural communities and workshops, using various methods to learn the preferences of workers and the headcount requirements of employers, Yun said.

It also includes conducting intensive recruitment by making full use of online platforms such as recruitment websites and short video platforms, as well as public squares, transit stations and marketplaces to launch targeted recruitment activities.

It will also facilitate joint recruitment efforts between labor-intensive regions and regions that are short of laborers, and encourage entrepreneurship by exploring entrepreneurial incubation bases and hometown entrepreneurship parks. Additionally, it will aim to match job opportunities and skills training for older migrant workers.

The Spring Breeze Action has been an annual event for many years, representing a significant part of government-led efforts to promote employment, Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies of the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

The period from January to April is crucial for the labor market, particularly for groups like migrant workers, as the period around the Spring Festival holidays represents a crucial time for finding a job, Li said.

These policies could reduce imbalances in employment information and enhance the overall efficiency of the job market, Li said.

In 2023, China added 12.44 million urban jobs, official data revealed. The surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.2 percent, down 0.4 percentage points from 2022.

The overall employment situation remains stable, with a continued improvement for key demographic groups, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a report.

Thanks to the normalization of economic activities, major cities have experienced a boost in economic vitality, leading to a continuous improvement in the employment situation, Wang Pingping, an NBS official, said in a statement.

Despite mounting pressures in the labor market in recent years, several new trends have emerged for new graduates and other job hunters to explore, and this situation is expected to continue to stabilize the job market and boost the economic recovery, experts said.

For instance, there is a growing trend of university graduates returning to their hometowns to start businesses. With the flourishing development of the digital economy, a considerable number of self-employed, temporary or flexible employment models have become new trends in the market.

The emergence of cutting-edge technologies in the digital economy - combined with new scenarios and sources of demand - have brought more options and chances for young people, Li Qiang, a vice president of Zhaopin.com, told the Global Times in a recent interview.

A diverse range of job opportunities have emerged with different entry levels, from the frontiers of digital technology to more basic jobs in expanding sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), Li Qiang noted.

Mexin Group, a door company based in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, told the Global Times that it has created new positions and expanded the hiring of AI engineers amid the development of its intelligent production.

Digital transformation has advanced the production and development patterns for enterprises in the manufacturing sector, while providing potential and space for young job applicants, particularly in rising sectors such as industrial automation and new energy.

According to Zhaopin.com, in the first half of 2023, the number of job openings in the new-energy industry grew 36.1 percent year-on-year, while in the industrial automation sector, job openings rose 6.9 percent.

Industrial automation supports technology and products in smart manufacturing. The growth in recruitment reflects the vigorous momentum of new manufacturing and shows the country's enthusiasm for digital transformation across various industries, the report said.