All those with official status as redundant workers can apply for the loan in local commercial banks.

Jiang Weijun, deputy director of the monetary policy department of the People's Bank of China, said the maximum loan was 20,000 yuan (US$2,430).

He also welcomed international organizations showing concern about China's attempts to find new jobs for laid-off workers and providing support in terms of projects, finance and technical assistance.

Jiang was speaking at a workshop on Re-employment and Job Creation for Laid-off Women Workers (LOWWs), which concluded yesterday in Tianjin.

A three-year project involving US$900,000 of micro-finance to help laid-off female workers return to work was launched in late 1999 in Tianjin.

It was funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Australia Agency for International Development and Tianjin government.

The successful pilot project has concluded and the All-China Women Federation (ACWF) is seeking to introduce it to other provinces and cities.

"Learning from the successful experience of the Tianjin Project, women's federations at various levels should explore the possibility of offering assistance that fit in with local development conditions and can help LOWWs to be reemployed," said Gu Xiulian, vice-president of ACWF.

"Women in China are very hard working. Given the opportunity, they will work as well or even better than men," said Macleod Nyirongo, deputy representative of UNDP Beijing Office.

Huang Chunying, 41, lost her job in one of Tianjin's State-owned enterprises six years ago.

Huang initially took a temporary job in a residential home for the elderly.

But low income and poor overall service in the home made her decide to take care of the old people by herself.

"I soon found myself running out of money, having rented the house and paid for other preparatory work," Huang said.

She heard of the micro-credit scheme in Tianjin that was helping laid-off women workers get re-employed or start a small business.

Huang was qualified for the loan and received an initial payment of 4,000 yuan (US$486) in early 2000 and opened her own home for the elderly.

Within two years, she had expanded this home and asked for a second loan and then a third one. Now there are 23 old people living in the elderly home and Huang employs four other LOWWs to help her run the business.

Wang Zhiqiu, president of the Tianjin Women's Federation, said the project has helped over 6,000 LOWWs find new jobs over the past three years and pulled 2,100 LOWWs above the poverty line.

(China Daily November 29, 2002)