Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2014, published 104th ILC session (2015)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - China (Ratification: 1997)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Formulation and implementation of an active employment policy. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government in reply to its previous observation. The Government indicates that in 2013 the third plenary session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided that systems and mechanisms that boost employment and business start-ups should be improved. Moreover, the Employment Promotion Plan for 2011–15, formulated in January 2012, lists the main policies and measures for the promotion of employment, including setting an overall plan for urban and rural employment of vulnerable groups, and developing human resources. The Government indicates that, during the 2011–13 period, newly created employment in urban areas reached nearly 38 million persons and the registered unemployment rate remained below 4.1 per cent. The Government also indicates that its constant search to improve employment policies and their implementation under the relevant legislation has resulted in the expansion of employment and the improvement of the employment structure. The Committee invites the Government to continue to provide detailed information on the formulation and implementation of active employment policies and on their impact in terms of productive employment creation.

Vulnerable groups. The Committee notes that the number of graduates from higher education institutions increased from 6.6 million in 2011 to 7.27 million in 2014. It also notes the measures taken to promote the employment and entrepreneurship of young persons, including launching a nationwide employment promotion programme in 2013, introducing a new round of College Graduates Entrepreneurship Pioneering Plan in May 2014, and providing targeted employment services. Moreover, the Government adopted the Special Regulation on the Labour Protection of Female Staff and Workers in 2012, which explicitly provides for protection against dismissal during pregnancy, maternity leave and nursing periods. With respect to migrant rural workers, the Committee notes the employment measures taken, which include improving an equal employment system in rural and urban areas, as well as strengthening employment services and supportive policies. The Committee further notes the measures for ethnic minorities, including providing targeted employment services and launching special recruitment sessions of state-owned enterprises. The Government indicates that re-employment of laid-off workers of state-owned enterprises has been addressed by the joint efforts of various sectors. The Committee invites the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures taken to promote the employment of vulnerable groups, including updated statistical data on the employment situation and trends.

Labour market information. Strengthening employment services. The Committee notes that the Government has established a system for analysing job supply and demand information in more than 100 representative cities on a quarterly basis and it has also periodically published the results through the media so as to provide guidance for jobseekers and employers. The Government also reports on the measures taken to improve public employment services. The Committee notes that 19,000 private employment agencies are operating in the country and helped almost 50 million people find jobs in 2013. The Government indicates that it has launched campaigns to enhance the credibility of private employment agencies and promoted standardization of employment services. The Government also reports on inspections and monitoring of private employment agencies. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing information on the operation of public employment services and private employment agencies and the measures taken to improve the employment services and ensure cooperation between them.

Constructing a unified labour market. The Committee notes that local governments have expanded public employment services throughout urban and rural areas since 2011. In this regard, the number of service agencies at county level totalled more than 10,000 by the end of 2013 as well as that of service windows at township level totalled more than 40,000, which cover 97 per cent of townships. The Committee invites the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures implemented to unify the labour market on the employment situation.

Promoting small and medium-sized enterprises. The Committee notes that the Government introduced a series of measures supporting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including financial support policies in 2013. The Government has also introduced preferential tax policies in 2014 for SMEs. The Committee invites the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures taken on employment generation through the promotion of SMEs.

Vocational education and training. The Committee notes that the public employment service has provided vocational training to jobseekers. It further notes that in 2013 private employment agencies have provided 60,000 training sessions. The Committee refers to its previous comments and once again invites the Government to provide information on the coordination between the human resource development policies and active labour market measures.

Article 3. Consultation with the social partners. The Committee notes that the 19th National Tripartite Conference of Labour Relations Coordination was convened in February 2014. It notes that the Government intends to take full advantage of the tripartite mechanism. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing information on the consultations with the social partners on the formulation and implementation of active employment policies, including consultations with the representatives of rural workers.