Jobs of primary importance for people's well-being

Editor's note: Employment is fundamental to people's well-being. It directly affects individual and household livelihoods, underpins sound economic and social development and is the cornerstone of long-term national stability. China Daily spoke to Cao Jia, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Labor and Social Security, on the promotion of high-quality employment. Below are excerpts of the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

The central authorities have urged governments at different levels to boost employment, embedding employment considerations throughout economic and social governance.

Employment impact assessments should be conducted when formulating major policies, launching large projects and planning productivity layouts. Emerging sectors such as the digital, green and silver economies are expected to become key engines for job creation, giving rise to new occupations and employment opportunities. By accelerating the development of occupational standards and optimizing training provision, a virtuous cycle can be formed between industrial upgrading and employment expansion.

Currently, some industries have job shortages while some have a labor shortage. This persistent gap between supply and demand can be resolved by better matching human resources with market needs.

To do this, the full chain from cultivation and evaluation of talent to utilization needs to be strengthened and professional training aligned more closely with the modern industrial system. A lifelong vocational skills training framework should be introduced to enhance workers' adaptability amid industrial transformation. Guidance should be given for more rational job selection and recruitment practices and for tempering unrealistic expectations on both the supply and demand side.

Focusing on key groups while supporting the healthy development of flexible and new forms of employment is an important pathway to expanding and upgrading job opportunities. The central authorities prioritize college graduates, migrant workers, people facing employment difficulties and demobilized military personnel, with tailored policies for each group.

Efforts should be made to expand market-oriented employment channels for graduates, improve employment opportunities for migrant workers and enhance targeted assistance for vulnerable groups to ensure no household remains without employment. The regulation of platform-based employment and improvements in the development of the gig economy mean that flexible and new forms of employment should grow in a more organized and sustainable manner.

Entrepreneurship-driven employment is both an intrinsic requirement of high-quality development and an effective way to create new jobs. Entrepreneurship can be supported by setting up an integrated system that combines innovative business models, training, resource provision, policy services and a favorable environment.

It is also necessary to link entrepreneurship with technological innovation, industrial development, vocational skills and people's livelihood needs. By improving incubation platforms, establishing professional mentor networks and providing full-cycle services from project development to market expansion, entrepreneurship can be a powerful driver of employment growth.

Improving mechanisms to address employment risks is a vital safeguard for overall stability. It is necessary to improve the assessment, monitoring and early warning of employment impacts, and effectively respond to the effects of external changes and emerging technologies on employment.

This forward-looking approach would not only provide transitional buffers for workers affected by industrial restructuring, but also guide the labor force toward emerging opportunities, serving as a stabilizer for employment and ensuring steady progress toward the goal of high-quality and full employment in a complex environment.