According to the 2019 Government Work Report, the Chinese government says it will implement an employment-first policy, especially insuring employment for key groups such as college graduates, demobilized soldiers and migrant workers. At the “lianghui”(or “two sessions”) this year, NPC deputies and CPPCC members have voiced their own opinions on how to cope with the structural imbalance between recruitment and employment.

The number of graduates is expected to reach a new high in 2019 of 8.34 million, putting further pressure on the labour market.

As Ma Huateng, NPC deputy and CEO of Tencent points out, emerging industries like cloud-computing, AI and big data have provided many job opportunities, but there are not enough qualified personnel to fill them. Ma suggests strengthening digital education, reforming the structural supply-side of the labor force, and reforming the education and training system so as to improve people’s capabilities.

A key force that drives employment comes from companies, especially private companies. Ma says that substantive measures should be made to trim corporate taxes and fees, to reduce burdens and spur their vitality.

Concerning the aging population problem in China, Bai Yansong, CPPCC member and news anchor, believes that China should start to build a senior labor market.

By the end of 2018, 250 million people in China were over the age of 60, including 82 million between the ages of 60 and 65. Meanwhile, the number of China’s newborns last year dropped by 2 million year-on-year. In Bai’s opinion, some younger senior citizens are still capable of working, but some labor agreements are not protected legally. As such, he suggests establishing a senior labor market, with the enacting of relevant employment laws as a top priority.