Employment and reemployment should be a priority of economic and social development this year as the situation remains severe, Chinese State Councilor Hua Jianmin said on Wednesday.

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"This year is critical for the implementation of active employment policies," Hua said at a State Council conference on employment here on Wednesday.

He urged effectively carrying out pro-employment policies.

His call came two days after China's legislature began to examine a draft law on employment promotion for the first time.

The registered urban unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent at the end of 2006, down 0.1 percentage points from the end of 2005.

The government made remarkable achievements in promoting employment last year, with newly employed urbanites exceeding 10 million for the first time, said Hua.

However, statistics showed at least 13 million new job opportunities need to be created annually in urban areas for laid-off workers, university graduates, demobilized servicemen, and migrant workers, according to Minister of Labor and Social Security Tian Chengping.

Hua said China should place priority on providing enough jobs for the unemployed in its economic and social development this year, saying the employment situation remains grim.

According to Hua, the government should promote the reemployment of laid-off workers, employment of college graduates and surplus rural laborers, improve the unemployment insurance system and enhancing employment service.

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