China's target for the urban unemployment rate will rise to 4.6 percent this year as rising numbers of college graduates put new pressure on the job market, the labor minister said Tuesday.

Tian Chengping said China aims to create 9 million new jobs and find work for an additional 5 million people laid-off from moribund state industries.

China's growing population and the migration of farmers to cities are also creating job pressure, but the rise in college graduates from 4.13 million last year to 4.95 million this year is creating new complications, Tian said.

"It's still a pretty grim picture when it comes to employment and job creation," Tian told a news conference on the sidelines of China's annual legislative session.

While relying on roaring economic growth of more than 10 percent last year to produce new jobs, the government is also trying to enact a social security net to provide subsidies, health care and retirement benefits to the unemployed and low income families.

About 30 percent of last year's university graduates, or 1.2 million students, failed to find work, Tian said. he said their numbers contributed to a total of about 24 million Chinese who will be competing for 24 million jobs.

Urban unemployment at 4.1 percent last year, while China created 11.84 million new jobs, significantly beating government targets, Tian said.

Another 5.05 million laid-off workers were re-employed. Chinese institutions also produced 600,000 new technicians, he said, saying a lack of skilled workers has been blamed for labor shortfalls in some places along the more developed eastern coast.

Tian also said the government would step up efforts to prevent exploitation of migrant workers, crack down on child labor, and increase minimum wages at least every two years.