Text B China’s Employment Situation
导 读
就业是民生之本，是人民改善生活的基本前提和基本途径。中国有近14亿人口，是世界上人口最多的国家。在中国，解决就业问题任务繁重、艰巨、紧迫。中国政府从亿万人民的根本利益出发，高度重视就业问题。中国政府依据《中华人民共和国宪法》，以及《中华人民共和国劳动法》等法律法规，保障劳动者的就业权利，采取各种政策措施积极促进就业，不断满足劳动者的就业需求。中国政府从国情出发，通过实践探索并借鉴国际经验，制定和实施了一系列积极的就业政策。目前，中国已建立起市场导向的就业机制，计划经济时期形成的企业富余人员问题基本得到解决。在经济发展和经济结构调整中，就业规模持续扩大，就业结构逐步优化，就业渠道不断拓宽，就业形式更加灵活，总体上保持了就业形势的基本稳定。
Employment has a vital bearing on people’s livelihoods.It is the fundamental prerequisite and basic approach for people to improve their lives.
China is the most populous country in the world.To solve the employment issue in China is a strenuous,arduous and pressing task.
In view of the fundamental interests of its people,the Chinese government recognizes the importance of the issue of employment.Based on the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China,the Labor Law of the People’s Republic of China,and other laws and regulations,the Chinese government has protected the workers’ right to employment,and adopted various policies and measures to promote employment actively and steadily meet their needs for employment.
The Chinese government has explored and drawn on international experiences and adapted them for use in the domestic situation,formulating and implementing a number of proactive employment policies.Currently,China has established a market-oriented employment mechanism; largely solved the problem of surplus enterprise personnel arising over the years under the planned economy; and,in the course of economic development and economic restructuring,expanded the employment scope continuously.As a result,the employment structure has gradually been optimized; the avenues for employment have been steadily broadened; the forms of employment have become more flexible and the employment situation has been maintained basically stable.
As far as the employment structure is concerned,from 1990 to 2003 the proportion of those employed in tertiary industry rose steadily; the proportion of those employed in secondary industry remained at around 21.6 percent; and the proportion of those employed in primary industry dropped to 49.1 percent.
New forms of employment mushroomed,such as jobs in foreign-invested firms and economic entities of diverse forms,part-time jobs,temporary jobs,seasonal jobs,work on an hourly basis and jobs with flexible working hours,and became important avenues for the expansion of employment.
On the principles of mutual respect,equality and mutual benefit,the Chinese government has actively participated in international labor-related affairs.China has ratified the Convention on the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment,the Convention on Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor,the Convention Concerning Equal Remuneration for Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value,the Employment Policy Convention,and other international labor-related conventions.In the field of labor and employment,China has carried out remarkably effective exchanges and cooperation with the International Labor Organization,the United Nations Development Program,the World Bank,the Asian Development Bank,and a number of other international organizations in many countries.
Employment Problems
In China,there is a large working-age population,while the average educational level of the people is relatively low.This is primarily manifested in the co-existence of the contradiction of the total volume of workforce supply and demand and the contradiction of employment structure,in the simultaneous appearance of increasing pressure on urban employment and acceleration of the shift of surplus rural laborers to non-agricultural sectors,and in the intertwining of the employment problem for new entrants to the workforce and that of the reemployment for laid-off workers.
Proactive Employment Policy
China exercises a proactive employment policy,and has established the employment principle of “Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation”.In the Report on the Work of the Government in 2015,the Chinese Government has firstly proposed to make “mass entrepreneurship and innovation” as the new engine of economic growth.The State Council and the central Party has carried out the strategy of innovation-driven development.It will encourage people to start their own businesses and to make innovations,which will not only create more jobs and increase personal incomes,but also improve upwards social mobility and social equity and justice.
Developing the Economy,Adjusting the Structure and Actively Creating Job Opportunities
—The main economic indicators were kept within an appropriate range.Gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 6.6 percent,exceeding 90 trillion yuan.Economic growth matched electricity consumption,freight transport,and other indicators.Consumer prices rose by 2.1 percent.In the balance of payments a basic equilibrium was maintained.A further 13.61 million new urban jobs were added,and the surveyed unemployment rate remained stable at a comparatively low level of around 5 percent.As a big developing country with a population close to 1.4 billion,we have attained relatively full employment.
—Economic structure was further improved.Consumption continued to play an increasing role in driving economic growth.The service sector’s contribution to growth approached 60 percent.Growth in high-tech industries and equipment manufacturing outstripped that of other industries.Harvests were again good.Energy consumption per unit of GDP fell by 3.1 percent.The quality and returns of growth continued to improve.
—New growth drivers grew rapidly.A number of major scientific and technological innovations were made,like the Chang’e-4 lunar probe.Emerging industries thrived and traditional industries saw faster transformation and upgrading.Business startups and innovation continued to surge nationwide,with an average of over 18,000 new businesses opening daily and the total number of market entities passing the 100 million mark.New growth drivers are now profoundly changing our mode of production and way of life,creating new strengths for China’s development.
—New breakthroughs were made in reform and opening up.Institutional reforms of both the State Council and local governments were implemented smoothly.New progress was made in reform in key fields.The negative list system for market access was put fully into effect.Reforms to streamline administration and delegate power,improve regulation,and upgrade services were intensified,and our business environment rose significantly in international rankings.Opening up was expanded on all fronts,and joint efforts to pursue the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) made significant headway.The first China International Import Expo was a success.Work began on building the China (Hainan) Pilot Free Trade Zone.China’s total volume of trade in goods exceeded 30 trillion yuan,and its utilized foreign investment totaled US$138.3 billion,ranking China first among developing countries.
Improving the Public Employment Service System,and Fostering and Developing the Labor Market
—Establishing a market-oriented employment mechanism.The Chinese Government actively fosters and develops the labor market and has gradually established the enterprises’ status as the major employers and the laborers’ status as the major labor suppliers.Simultaneously,it has coordinated and propelled reform in the social security system,the residential housing system and the household registration system.The environment for labor market development has been noticeably improved,and the market mechanism is now playing the fundamental role in the allocation of labor resources.
—Developing and improving the public employment service system.Since the late 1990s,the Chinese Government has made great efforts for scientific,standardized and modernized building of the labor market,and established a public employment service system.Currently,at both city and district levels in large and medium cities and some small cities that have the necessary conditions,comprehensive service premises with public job agencies as their key service have been widely established.Cities at the prefectural level and above have,by and large,set up organizations to provide labor security work in local communities,and improved the network of employment service organizations at the grass-roots level.Almost a hundred large and medium cities in the country have launched websites providing information on the labor market,and ensured inter-connection between computers of the city and district employment service organizations.In some cities,the information websites can be accessed in local neighborhoods and communities.There are 89 large and medium cities that provide to the public,on a seasonal basis,analyses of information concerning supply and demand in the labor market by different categories of jobs.This service plays a guiding role in the promotion of the rational allocation of labor resources and the development of occupational training.The government also encourages and has standardized the development of job agencies run by non-governmental entities.By the end of 2003,there were,all told,26,000 job agencies of various types,of which 18,000 were public job agencies founded by government institutions in charge of labor and social security at various levels.The public job agencies provide employment services to some 20 million people each year,and have found jobs for 10 million people successfully.
—Improving the unemployment insurance system.In the mid-1980s,an unemployment insurance system was established in China to provide unemployment relief and medicare subsidies to the unemployed,facilitate the administration of and services for the unemployed,and give full scope to the role of unemployment insurance in promoting employment and reemployment.In January 1999,the Chinese Government promulgated the “Unemployment Insurance Regulations”,which further improved the unemployment insurance system.According to statistics from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security in 2019,the registered unemployment rate was 3.62％,remaining at a low level.By the end of 2019,205 million people throughout the country had underwritten unemployment insurance policies.
Words & Expressions
1.livelihood['laivlihud] n.生计；生活；营生
2.prerequisite[，priː'rekwizit] n.先决条件
3.populous['pɔpjuləs] adj.人口稠密的；人口多的
4.strenuous['strenjuəs] adj.紧张的；费力的；奋发的；艰苦的；热烈的
5.arduous['ɑːdjuəs] adj.努力的；费力的；险峻的
6.proactive[，prəu'æktiv] adj.前摄的（前一活动中的因素对后一活动造成影响的）； 有前瞻性的；先行一步的
7.optimized['ɔptimaizd] adj.最佳化的；尽量充分利用
8.tertiary industry 第三产业
9.mushroom['mʌʃruːm，-rum] n.蘑菇；伞菌；蘑菇形物体；暴发户
vi.迅速增加；采蘑菇；迅速生长
10.entity['entəti] n.实体；存在；字符实体
11.avenues n.林荫道；大街；方法
12.ratify['rætifai] vt.批准；认可
13.remuneration[ri，mjuːnə'reiʃən] n.报酬；酬劳；赔偿
14.co-existence n.共生；共存性
15.simultaneous[，siməl'teiniəs] adj.同时的；联立的；同时发生的
16.intertwine[，intə'twain] v.交织；缠绕
17.entrant['entrənt] n.进入者；新会员；参加竞赛者；新工作者
18.proactive fiscal policy 积极的财政政策
19.enact[i'nækt] vt.颁布；制定法律；扮演
20.promulgate['prɔməlɡeit，prəu'mʌl-] vt.公布；传播；发表
21.prefectural[pri'fektjurəl] adj.县的；府的；地方行政长官的
22.medicare['medikεə] n.医疗保险
Notes
1.Constitution of the People’s Republic of China （《中华人民共和国宪法》）：The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China is the highest law within the People’s Republic of China.The current version was adopted by the 5th National People’s Congress on December 4，1982 with further revisions in 1988，1993，1999，and 2004.Three previous state constitutions—those of 1954，1975，and 1978—were superseded in turn.The Constitution has five sections which are the preamble，general principles，fundamental rights and duties of citizens，structure of the state （which includes such state organs as the National People’s Congress，the State Council，the Local People’s Congress and Local People’s Governments and the People’s Courts and the People’s Procuratorates），the national flag and the emblems of the state.
2.World Bank（世界银行）：The World Bank’s official goal is the reduction of poverty.According to the World Bank’s Articles of Agreement （As amended effective 16 February 1989） all of its decisions must be guided by a commitment to promote foreign investment，international trade and facilitate capital investment.The World Bank differs from the World Bank Group，in that the World Bank comprises only two institutions： the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development （IBRD） and the International Development Association （IDA），whereas the latter incorporates these two in addition to three more： International Finance Corporation （IFC），Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency （MIGA），and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes （ICSID）.
Exercises
I.Translate the following phrases into Chinese.
1.tertiary industry
2.the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China
3.market-oriented employment mechanism
4.International Labor Organization
5.non-agricultural sector
II.Translate the following sentences into Chinese.
1.Employment has a vital bearing on people’s livelihoods.
2.It is the fundamental prerequisite and basic approach for people to improve their lives.
3.In China,there is a large working-age population,while the average educational level of the people is relatively low.
4.On the principles of mutual respect,equality and mutual benefit,the Chinese government has actively participated in international labor-related affairs.
5.To solve the employment issue in China is a strenuous,arduous and pressing task.
III.Decide whether each of the following statements is true (T) or false (F) according to the passage.
1.Chinese government has protected the workers’ right to employment,and adopted various policies and measures to promote employment actively and steadily meet their needs for employment.( )
2.As far as the employment structure is concerned,from 1990 to 2003 the proportion of those employed in primary industry rose steadily.( )
3.China has carried out remarkably effective exchanges and cooperation with the International Labor Organization.( )
4.In China,there is a large working-age population,while the average educational level of the people is relatively low.( )
5.New forms of employment mushroomed,such as jobs in foreign-invested firms and economic entities of diverse forms,full-time jobs,temporary jobs,seasonal jobs,work on an hourly basis and jobs with flexible working hours,and became important avenues for the expansion of employment.( )