China to give gig workers and training a lift to keep lid on unemployment

Social security minister says some positions are going unfilled as demand for skills goes unmet

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More than 12 million university graduates will join the labour market in China this year. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 10:00pm, 9 Mar 2025

Gig workers and vocational training are two top priorities this year for China as it tries to create jobs in the face of economic headwinds, demographic challenges and external shocks.

That was the message Human Resources and Social Security Minister Wang Xiaoping delivered on Sunday on the sidelines of the “two sessions”, the annual gathering of the country’s legislators and political advisers in Beijing.

Wang said 30 million people who had been pulled out of poverty would need to keep their jobs to remain there, and most of the country’s 12.2 million university graduates would join the labour market this year. China had 11.79 million fresh graduates in 2024.

At the same time, many positions were going unfilled because of a mismatch between skills demand and supply.

“Amid the interweaving effect of demographic changes and technological transformations, many people are anxiously searching for work while many jobs remain open,” she said, adding that job creation and retention would be difficult.

“The pressure on employment remains huge and structural contradictions are sharper. Meanwhile, the domestic economic recovery needs to be solidified amid a complex external environment. All these will affect employment.”