BEIJING, Dec. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- 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 Program (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, anexpert with the Party School of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

    "It may be almost the same during the 11th Five-Year Program with newly-added urban laborers of around 5 million to 5.5 millionevery 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 companiesand 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 ofquantity in the future. Enditem