Chongqing - As reported in a press conference on Jan 4, the city experienced a notable increase in employment last year, with 739,000 new urban jobs, marking a 4.5% rise from the previous year. This growth has contributed to a stable employment landscape in Chongqing, further enhanced by the addition of 74,000 skilled talents from outside the city.

Statistics of Chongqing's employment landscape in 2023. (Graphic/ Zheng Ran)

According to Lai Yong, director of the Chongqing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, exceeding its annual job creation target by 123.1%, Chongqing implemented significant financial support for businesses, amounting to over 15 billion yuan. This aid included reduced unemployment insurance premiums and "stable job loans," effectively securing over 6 million jobs.

For youth employment, in 2024, the number of college graduates is anticipated to surpass 360,000, marking another year of growth. In response, the city plans to enhance its employment support policies and initiatives, ensuring these graduates find fulfilling and quality job opportunities.

Besides, the city's poverty alleviation efforts have also been fruitful, with 808,000 individuals finding employment to boost their income.

Li highlighted Chongqing's multifaceted talent development strategies, focusing on cultivating, attracting, and utilizing skilled individuals. The city currently has 2.25 million specialized technical talents, who make up 31.7% of the total 5.3 million skilled workforce, representing the highest proportion of highly skilled talent in western China.

In 2023, Chongqing's talent attraction initiatives were robust, bringing in 74,000 people from outside the city and recruiting 1,290 postdoctoral talents. The city's efforts in hosting the Chongqing International Talent Exchange Conference (CQITEC) and other talent-focused events have successfully introduced numerous skilled individuals and projects.

Chongqing's commitment to human resource development in recent years aims for a 150 billion yuan industry revenue by 2025. The city intends to nurture leading human resource service enterprises and innovate in human capital trading. This strategy is geared towards pioneering human capital innovation and development, contributing significantly to high-quality population growth.