Li: 11 million jobs must be created in 2018

Premier Li Keqiang pledged to generate a minimum of 11 million new jobs this year and stressed the importance of ensuring employment for China's 280 million migrant workers who are working in cities.

The premier said at a news conference Tuesday employment is of "paramount importance" for each and every family and urged governments at all levels to put employment high on their agenda.

"Our minimum target is 11 million new urban jobs, and we will work for more than 13 million in actual practice. We have been able to do that in the past several years and there is no reason for us to fail to hit that mark this year," he said.

According to the premier, China has generated more than 60 million new urban jobs in the last five years. In this year's government work report, China incorporated the surveyed urban unemployed rate as a target for the first time, so it will better reflect the employment situation in both urban and rural areas, he said.

"This is the government putting pressure on itself," Li said.

Li noted China has some 280 million rural migrant workers in cities, who have contributed greatly to China's urbanization process by building skyscrapers and roads.

China will see some three to four million migrant workers coming to work in cities this year, he said.

"It is an important part of government work to provide job opportunities for these people," Li added.

According to the premier, this year will see a record high 8.2 million college graduates and another five million graduates from secondary vocational schools. There will also be some one million demobilized military personnel and workers affected in the cutting of overcapacity.

"We must work hard to ensure there will be good jobs for these people," he said, adding the central government will try to eliminate "zero employment" families and explore new channels for creating jobs.