China’s State Council, the cabinet, issued the country’s next five-year plan for implementing the “employment-first strategy” on Wednesday, pledging to keep the job market broadly stable and prevent large-scale unemployment risks.
The plan said China would stabilise jobs in labour-intensive sectors including light manufacturing, textiles, foreign trade and construction, while expanding employment in services including elderly care, childcare, tourism, catering and others.
China will also adapt to the development of artificial intelligence to promote employment and entrepreneurship, explore new forms of human-machine collaboration, and use AI to strengthen job creation and public services.
(Reporting by Ellen Zhang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Alison Williams)
