Wendy Zhang/ Shanghai Daily news

The Changning District government will invest 45 million yuan subsidizing re-employing workers next year, today's Oriental Morning Post reported.
From 2003 to 2005, Changning District will have invested 100 million yuan in the re-employment program, which has helped at least 20 percent of the jobless become re-employed every year.
The subsidies will be mainly offered to companies recruiting jobless, and re-employing workers who have been laid off.
After the subsidies are in place, each employee will get at least 1,000 yuan (US$120) monthly.
As many residents in the Changning District have at least two apartments of their own for lease (inherited from their ancestors), many of the jobless are preferring to collect rents rather than be re-hired. With the city's minimum monthly income of 290 yuan, they can also enjoy a series of preferential policies such as free tuitions for their children and economy housing apartments.
In a bid to encourage more people to become re-employed, the district government started the subsidy program.
In April this year, Changning District established the city's first ten job-aid bases, with 102 companies included and 17,349 people employed to date. Over the past several years, about 5,000 people in Changning District have had the city's minimum monthly income, with 5,000 remaining jobless for a long term.