Shanghai aims to control its unemployment rate below 5.5 percent and create at least 500,000 jobs annually over the next five years, according to the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2015) released by the Shanghai Human Resources and Social Security Bureau yesterday.

In the first three quarters this year, Shanghai created 570,000 new jobs, supported 11,635 people in starting businesses and helped 9,836 long-term unemployed young people find jobs or start businesses, all exceeding its yearly targets.

In the past five years, about 600,000 jobs were added each year, with the unemployment rate kept within 5.5 percent and the ratio of highly skilled laborers increasing from 30.18 percent to 35.03 percent. The city helped about 60,000 people start their own business.

The city also aims to provide 5 million training opportunities for laborers and add 200,000 highly skilled workers.

It will keep 12 percent of its population active in entrepreneurial activities.

While trying to increase the number of people insured by the basic pension insurance for urban workers to 17 million by 2025, the city also aims to add 500,000 people to those insured by the supplementary pension scheme, with the insurance capital scale enlarged by 50 billion yuan (US$7.82 billion).

By the end of last year, supplementary pension insurance covered 10,200 enterprises with more than 1.4 million employees. Its fund had reached about 97.46 billion yuan.

To improve service efficiency, the bureau plans to bring all services related to employment and social security online.

Meanwhile, top foreign talents in Shanghai can now apply for a work permit and a residence permit at the same time at specialized service windows in Xuhui District.

The service applies to Category-A foreign professionals, or “high-end foreign talents,” which include those working in science and technology, international entrepreneurs and others deemed in urgent demand in China, according to the Xuhui District Science and Technology Commission, which runs the foreign experts affairs administration.

Previously, they had to apply for a work permit from the Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs and then apply for a residence permit at the Exit-Entry Administration Bureau with their approved work permit. They could also apply for both permits simultaneously at the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau on 1500 Minsheng Road in Pudong.

Furthermore, instead of handling paperwork and visiting windows, the foreign professionals can also apply online for a work permit, as well as for the extension of work permits in Xuhui, which avoids gatherings and prevents the risk of cross-infections amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The services aim to further attract foreign technological and innovation companies as well as top talents from abroad,” according to the commission.

These are part of the key services of Xuhui’s unified e-governance system, which offers thousands of online approvals, for citizens, overseas talents and companies.

The district government is using artificial intelligence in the e-governance platform and promoting self-service machines across the district’s innovation parks, commercial complexes and communities.