China's State Council, the Cabinet, yesterday urged local governments to create job opportunities for the migrant workers who had been unemployed and returned to their home towns due to the impact of the global financial crisis.

In a circular distributed among provincial governments and ministry-level government bodies, the Cabinet said the migrant worker issue was a pressing and important task as it was related to the country's economic and social development as migrant workers were under increasing unemployment pressure as the financial crisis had a negative impact on domestic enterprises.

With the New Year and Spring Festival approaching, a large number of migrant workers were returning home to rural areas. Governments should step up supervision on wage payment to ensure workers receive their wages in time, create more job opportunities and provide vocational training, according to the circular.

Local governments should promote development of small and mid-size companies, labor-intensive and service industries to absorb migrant workers. They should also offer favorable policies for migrant workers who would start their own businesses, said the Cabinet.

Banks should support the start-ups with loans on favorable terms. Local commerce administrations and tax offices should simplify procedures and encourage them to participate in projects such as aged-house renovation and road construction.

Companies should try to avoid or reduce layoffs. Laid-off migrant workers should be given priority in employment plans of large infrastructure projects.

Human resources and social securities authorities should facilitate settlement of domestic social insurance bills payable. Education departments should help arrange schools for migrant workers' children.

Public health authorities should improve medicare services and disease control among migrant workers. Transport authorities should prepare for the coming passenger peak.

Land resources departments should step up management and service of rural land transfer, and make sure returned workers would be able to receive gains on their transferred land.