CHINA will boost its job creation effort and promote entrepreneurship this year, a spokeswoman for the top State planner said Sunday, under pressure to find work for millions of unemployed people and new college graduates.

Meng Wei of the National and Development Reform Commission (NDRC) said China needs to create jobs for 9.7 million people registered as unemployed and 8.2 million new college graduates, as well as workers affected by industrial capacity cuts.

China’s urban-registered unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent last year and has remained generally stable despite slowing economic growth and the government forging ahead with plans to cut industrial capacity.

“We will implement an employment-first strategy and more proactive employment policies ... and vigorously promote employment and entrepreneurship,” Meng told a news conference Sunday.

She adding that protecting jobs was fundamental to China’s stable growth policy.

Authorities are counting on “new growth engines” such as technology and services to support job creation.

Meng said China will create a policy environment that supports the digital economy and will promote the big data, artificial intelligence and industrial Internet sectors.

The NDRC will also improve policies to support the growth of private firms, building on examples of successful policies from around the country, she noted.

According to official data, China has created more than 66 million urban jobs over the past five years. In 2017, 13.51 million new jobs were created in urban areas, beating the Central Government’s official target of 11 million jobs.

By the end of last year, the unemployment rate in urban areas stood at 3.9 percent, the lowest since 2002, official data showed. (SD-Agencies)