China News Service:

Employment has played an important role in winning the battle against poverty, and we should continue to leverage its positive role in consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation and pushing forward rural revitalization. What specific measures will we take in the next step?

Zhang Ying:

Thank you for your question. When one member of a family gets a job, the whole family will get rid of poverty, so increasing employment is the most effective and direct way to shake off poverty and a basic measure to consolidate the achievements of poverty alleviation. In the battle against poverty, the MOHRSS and other relevant departments have made every effort to increase the income of the poor labor force by facilitating their employment as migrant workers and employment nearby with strengthened employment services, vocational training, and rights protection. The number of poor people getting employed as migrant workers increased from 12.27 million in 2015 to 32.43 million in 2020, and more than two-thirds of registered poor people got out of poverty mainly by working as migrant workers and engaging in local industries. Since the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, we have stepped up our efforts, increasing the number of people out of poverty employed as migrant workers to 32.23 million in the first half of this year. At the same time, some people who have been lifted out of poverty do not have stable jobs, and thus, there is still the difficult task of stabilizing their employment. We will resolutely implement the requirements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council that poverty alleviation responsibilities, assistance, policies, and supervision be continued so as to ensure overall stability in employment for people who have been lifted out of poverty and help consolidate and enrich the achievements of poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. The main policies and measures are as follows.

First, we have worked hard to guide the migrant workers to flow in an orderly manner. We have improved mechanisms, including the labor collaboration between the eastern and western regions, made the labor flow more organized, and helped those out of poverty who are willing to work outside their hometowns do so. For those who need to go out together for work, locality-to-locality transportation services have been provided based on actual conditions.

Second, we have worked hard to stabilize employment. We have promoted the implementation of policies for stabilizing employment, such as postponing the payment of social insurance premiums and refunding unemployment insurance premiums for companies that make no cuts or minimal cuts to staff numbers, and strengthened follow-up services, stabilizing employment of people out of poverty. At the same time, we have provided services, including vocational guidance, job referral, and skills training in a timely manner and given priority to helping these people in need get transferred to new jobs or get employed.

Third, we have worked hard to develop nearby channels. In line with the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy and urbanization, we have boosted industrial development, developed workshops that provide employment assistance, encouraged people to return or go to villages to start businesses, supported flexible employment, and made good use of rural public welfare posts, continuously increasing nearby and local job opportunities.

Fourth, we have worked hard to ensure employment in key areas. We have increased funding, project, and policy support and organized regular recruitment activities in key counties to receive assistance in pursuing rural revitalization and in relocation areas for people from inhospitable areas, and sent targeted job information to these areas, ensuring that employment in key areas is no lower than the overall level. Thank you.