Steps taken for evolving job market

The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council in September unveiled a set of guidelines to promote "high-quality and sufficient employment", highlighting the need to "proactively respond to the impact of rapidly developing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, on employment".

According to the guidelines, measures will be taken to expand new employment spaces in the digital economy, create more new jobs related to green industries and cultivate new growth engines of employment by developing the silver economy.

Jobs unheard of just a few years ago are emerging fast, and the government aims to keep pace with demand to ensure there are enough relevantly skilled people to take up the opportunities.

One example is generative artificial intelligence technology, which has already begun to take root across a range of industries.

Yu Simin is an AI systems operator at the forefront of this shift, who develops customized digital "personas" for clients. "My job is to give digital people beautiful appearances as well as interesting souls, allowing businesses to access cutting-edge AI at lower costs," she said.

Her work involves training AI models to create digital avatars that replicate human visuals and language. With the help of user-provided data, these "digital humans" can speak multiple languages, providing companies with interactive, customized solutions for expanding overseas markets.

Generative AI systems operator is one of 19 new professions recognized by the government in recent years relating to the digital economy, smart manufacturing and modern services.

Yu's job is an example of how the development of new industries brings new employment opportunities.

As technology continues to advance, generative AI will unleash even greater productivity across an array of industries, becoming a powerful driver of innovation and efficiency in the digital era, she said.

Zhang Chenggang, an associate professor at the Capital University of Economics and Business, said that emerging fields like the digital economy, green development and elderly care services will diversify the job market.

"These new driving forces will promote the realization of a sustainable employment structure, provide workers with more career opportunities and higher quality career choices, and help ease the employment pressure caused by the decline of traditional industries," Zhang said.