The drafting of the law started in the second half of 2003 and, after repeated revision, the law is now on the agenda of China's legislators.

As chairman of NPC standing committee, Wu Bangguo said, since the law has close relations with people's interests, the full text of the draft law will be published after the 5th plenary session of the 10th NPC in order to ascertain public opinion.

"Unemployment leads to social unrest and conflicts between different groups," said Liu Cuixiao, a researcher with China Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) who believes that the main catalyst for the new law is China's present social situation.

As the most populous country in the world, China is now facing a rapid rise in its labor force -- nearly 10 million people every year. Unemployment is becoming a challenge that the government is increasingly facing.

Although the official urban registered unemployment rate is 4.6 percent, some economic observers believe the national figure may be much higher.

In order to address this issue, the draft law is aiming at promoting employment around the country. The law states that the government will implement new policies, such as boosting professional training, regulating the intermediary employment agencies and increasing financial investment in employment promotion.

Severe employment stress makes discrimination more popular in China, however building a fair employment market is a key issue addressed in the draft law, which contains a special clause on anti-discrimination.

The clause states that discrimination against job seekers with respect to their background, whether it be with regards to ethnicity, gender, religious beliefs, age, or physical disability, will be prohibited.

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