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Urban jobless rate due to climb as economy cools

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The mainland is bracing for a higher unemployment rate among urban dwellers, as job creation slows because of plans to cool off the economy.

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The National Development and Reform Commission set a modest target of 8 per cent growth for gross domestic product in an annual economic plan presented to the National People's Congress.

The commission also pledged to cap the urban unemployment rate at 4.6 per cent, 0.4 percentage points higher than last year's figure.

'The registered urban unemployment rate at the end of 2005 is expected to be somewhat higher than last year,' the report stated.

The government expects 11 million urban dwellers to join the workforce this year, while only 9 million new jobs will be created.

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There are currently 13 million registered unemployed and laid-off workers in urban areas.

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