BEIJING, April 12 (Xinhua) -- China will recruit and send some 20,000 college graduates to work in the rural areas this year in a bid to ease employment pressures and enhance the development of rural areas, according to a meeting held here on Thursday.

    The graduates will be assigned to work in the education, medicine, agriculture and poverty-alleviation sectors, according to the meeting.

    Statistics show, 23,520 college graduates went to work in rural areas last year.

    The meeting was held by eight government departments, including the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.

    Earlier report said about 1.24 million Chinese college graduates would likely not get immediate job offers this year.

    China encourages university graduates to work in western, rural China by guaranteeing salaries, medical care and providing other subsidies.

    Statistics show China is facing a severe employment crisis with 34.5 million people expected to come on to the labor market between 2006 and 2010.