City acts to stem influx of workers

The Guangzhou Government is to make it difficult for migrant workers from other provinces to work in the city in an attempt to reduce unemployment.

The city's Vice-Mayor, Wu Liang , said the authorities would register all migrant workers and issue a work permit.

A computerised network would prevent outsiders from working in Guangzhou, Mr Wu said.

But he said Guangzhou should not exile migrant workers to solve unemployment.

'The lack of workers, especially capable ones, requires the economic hub be open to as many workers as possible,' Mr Wu was quoted by Xinhua (the New China News Agency) as saying.

A long-held view is that an excessive number of migrant workers is responsible for the city's increasing unemployment.