China is stepping up its policy support to promote employment,
said a circular released on Tuesday on the official government
website.
The circular allowed localities to raise the ceiling of the
amount of small loans -- a policy partly designed to help the
unemployed open their own businesses -- and lower the threshold for
qualified borrowers when necessary.
The preferential tax policies, which reduce or exempt the tax
burden on the unemployed and the disabled, should continue to be
carried out till the end of this year. New policies would be
introduced in 2009.
The government has been taking measures to encourage companies
to recruit those who have had difficulty in finding employment. It
was also creating more public service jobs.
China has implemented active employment policies since 2002. It
has increased the number of newly employed in cities from 8.4
million in 2002 to 12.04 million people last year.
(Xinhua News Agency February 20, 2008)