Chinese State Councilor Hua Jianmin on Friday urged local governments and business sectors to improve services to help more people find jobs.

"Employment remains an arduous task this year despite impressive achievements made last year," Hua said during a nationwide meeting on employment.

In 2006, more than 11.8 million Chinese urban residents got new jobs, a record high driven by a 10.7-percent gross domestic product rise.

Yet, statistics showed at least 13 million new job opportunities need to be created annually in urban areas for laid-off workers, university graduates, demobilized servicemen, and migrant workers.

Hua encouraged privately-owned enterprises, labor-intensive industries and service sectors to create more jobs.

Hua also called on governments at all levels to improve the unemployment insurance system and enhance employment services.

"We should help the disabled and college graduates to find jobs," he said.

"We also should further improve employment situation for rural migrant workers and protect their legal rights," Hua said.

A total of 2.67 million people found jobs in China's urban areas in the first quarter this year, almost 30 percent of 2007's goal of nine million, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Security.
 
(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2007)