An average of 15 million more Chinese people each year are expected to find jobs between now and 2020 amid the government's efforts to create more job opportunities, said a report released in Beijing on the official government website.

The report, from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, said that the employment rate is due to rise in the coming years. A total of 850 million workers will be employed by 2020.

According to the report, the country's unemployment rate is to fall to under 4 percent in cities and towns, about 12 million people, by 2020.

That is to say, 510 million urban and town residents will be employed in the coming 12 years, compared with the current figure of 280 million. More than 150 million rural residents are expected to find jobs in cities as migrant workers.

More people will benefit from the government's policy to get basic or professional job training before becoming employed, said the report.

With millions of students graduating from colleges and farmers seeking jobs in urban areas, the Chinese government has pledged to improve the country's employment rate and help job-seeking.

A latest circular announced by the central government allowed localities to raise the ceiling of the amount of small loans to businesses -- a policy partly designed to help the unemployed open their own firms -- and lower the threshold for qualified borrowers when necessary.

The preferential tax policies, which reduce or exempt the tax burden on the unemployed and the disabled, should continue to the end of this year. New policies would be introduced in 2009.

China has implemented active employment policies since 2002 and has also created more public service jobs. It has increased the number of newly employed in cities from 8.4 million in 2002 to 12.04 million people last year.

(Xinhua News Agency, March 4, 2008)