(Yicai Global) Feb. 26 -- China’s unemployment rate in its cities was 5.6 percent last year, below the expected 6 percent, the Minister of Human Resources and Social Security said today.

The employment situation improved quarter by quarter in 2020, from a high of 6.2 percent in February to 5.2 percent in December, ending the year at the same levels as were seen in 2019, Zhang Jinan said, referring to a recent ministerial survey.

China’s cities created 11.86 million new jobs in 2020, he said. Over 90 percent of college graduates found jobs. And 820,000 of them set up their own businesses, a jump of 11 percent from the year before.

Migrant workers from rural areas recovered to 98.2 percent of their numbers in 2019. Some 32 million impoverished people found jobs, an increase of 10 percent. As the economy continues to improves, the employment situation will remain stable, he added.

There will be a record number of students graduating from college this year, some 9.09 million, all of whom will be looking for work, Zhang said. In all, there will be about 15 million people seeking to join the labor force this year.

The MOHRSS regards entrepreneurship and innovation as an important direction for expanding employment, he said. It will provide college graduates with targeted entrepreneurship training, loans and subsidies.

Editor: Kim Taylor