China unveils ‘employment-first’ plan that includes developing new AI-related jobs

In a fresh push to bolster job prospects, China has unveiled plans to harness AI for job creation and entrepreneurship while developing emerging industries such as the marine sector as new sources of employment growth.

The measures come as employment prospects for two of China’s core labour groups – university graduates and migrant workers – come under increasing pressure after declines in investment and retail sales last month. Employment, one of the most telling indicators of overall economic health, has long been a politically sensitive issue for Beijing because of its link to social stability.

“Overall, the measures are comprehensive,” said Nie Riming, deputy director of the Shanghai Institute of Finance and Law. “But employment is ultimately a growth issue.”

The plan released on Wednesday set out nine priority areas, including aligning macroeconomic policy with employment goals, stabilising employment in labour-intensive industries, expanding the service sector’s capacity to absorb workers and creating new opportunities in emerging sectors.

It also addressed the role of artificial intelligence in the labour market, with measures to develop new AI-related jobs, broaden opportunities in traditional industries through the adoption of AI, and strengthen training and career-transition support for workers.

“Employment for highly educated young people and for middle-aged workers with low education levels are the two most pressing challenges facing China’s labour market,” Nie said. About 70 per cent of unemployed young people are university graduates, while laid-off workers in their 50s with limited education often face prolonged periods of joblessness.