China adds 10.52 million urban jobs in Jan-Sept, to roll out services jobs policy

China added 10.52 ​million urban jobs in ​the first nine months ‌of ​the year, meeting 87.7% of its annual target, the labour ministry said ‌on Saturday. The ministry is also planning new measures to boost hiring in the services sector.

The surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged ‌5.2% from January to August, and employment remained "generally stable," officials ‌from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security told a State Council Information Office press conference. The ministry will work with other departments ⁠on ​a policy document ⁠to promote employment through services sector development, enabling services to better act ⁠as the main channel for absorbing jobs, Vice Minister and spokesperson ​Li Zhong said.

Beijing will also work to keep employment ⁠steady in labour-intensive industries and look for new job opportunities in emerging and ⁠future ​industries, he added. As of end-September, 1.079 billion people were enrolled in basic pension insurance. Unemployment insurance ⁠covered 251 million people and work-injury insurance covered 327 million.

The three ⁠social insurance ⁠funds had a combined balance of 11.2 trillion yuan ($1.67 trillion). ($1 = 6.6920 Chinese yuan renminbi)