The population of China's employed increased by 3.42 million in the first quarter, while the registered urban unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent.
The employment situation has been favorable in the first three months, said Yin Chengji, spokesman for the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.
The urban unemployment rate from January to March remained unchanged from 4.1 percent in 2012, and it may contribute to realizing this year's target of keeping the unemployment rate at or below 4.6 percent.
However, employment pressure is increasing as the number of job seekers has continued to rise, especially among college graduates, Yin said.
The employment of college graduates will continue to be a focus of government efforts in the coming years, he said.
China will see a record-high 6.99 million people graduate from college this year, up 2.8 percent from a year ago. |