BEIJING, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The State Council, or
cabinet, pledged on Wednesday to give top priority to the employment of
university graduates, reflecting the spread of the global financial crisis and
the "austere" job situation.
Premier Wen Jiabao presided over a cabinet meeting on
the issue of employment of university graduates. The meeting called these
graduates China's "valuable human resources".
The council decided to adopt more measures to promote
the employment of university graduates.
Subsidies and social insurance will be offered to
graduates who work in villages and communities, and the government will help
those who work in remote areas or join the Army to repay student loans, the
meeting decided.
The government is encouraging graduates to work for
small or private companies, the meeting said, noting that incentives will be
given to companies that employ these graduates. It also urged large companies to
hire more university graduates.
Graduates are encouraged to start businesses, with
favorable tax and loan policies, the meeting said.
It also ordered universities to improve their job
placement services, by providing free information and helping graduates find
jobs.
The meeting also decided to set up and improve a
mechanism to assist university graduates from poor families.
According to published reports, China had nearly 5.6
million university graduates in 2008, and this year, the figure is expected to
top 6 million.
BEIJING, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Amid waves of job cuts
worldwide, China has embarked on active measures to minimize job cuts and has
pledged to boost employment this year.
The financial crisis continues to hurt the fourth
largest economy and pushed many enterprises to cut their headcounts. Full story
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C front row)
talks to students at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and
Astronautics, China, on Dec. 20, 2008. Wen arrived in the university's
library and chatted with students there on Saturday after attending the
closing ceremony of a year-long exchange program between Chinese and
Japanese young people. (Xinhua Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BEIJING, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
has pledged to university students that the government would seek to provide
more jobs for graduates and "put the issue of graduate employment first."
"Your difficulties are my difficulties, and if you
are worried, I am more worried than you," Wen told the students at the Beijing
University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Full story
