Documents will be issued to address the impact of artificial intelligence on employment, the Measures for the Protection of the Basic Rights and Interests of Workers in New Forms of Employment will be formulated, and five training initiatives will be implemented including the cultivation of skilled talents for the low-altitude economy... Reporters learned from the regular press conference of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) on January 27 that a series of new livelihood policies to stabilize employment and protect rights and interests will be introduced one after another, injecting new impetus into high-quality development.
Employment is the foundation of people's livelihood. The latest data shows that in 2025, China's urban areas saw a net increase of 12.67 million jobs, with the average urban surveyed unemployment rate standing at 5.2%. The overall stable employment situation has laid a solid foundation for the advancement of policies in 2026.
"Going forward, we will focus on investing in people, take strengthening the development and utilization of human resources as the main line, actively build an employment-friendly development model, promote high-quality and full employment, and improve the lifelong vocational skills training system. We will further implement the 'Skills Illuminate the Future' training initiative, deepen the reform of the social security system, encourage and support flexible employees to participate in employee insurance, improve the wage income distribution system, and improve the labor relations governance system. We will continue to enhance the high-quality supply of policies and services," said Cui Pengcheng, Director-General of the Policy Research Department and Spokesperson of MOHRSS.
Specifically, in terms of boosting employment, skills training will become a key focus of future policies.
In 2025, the "Skills Illuminate the Future" training initiative achieved remarkable results. Focusing on key fields and key groups, more than 11 million person-times of subsidized training were carried out throughout the year, helping workers secure employment and increase income through skills improvement.
"In 2026, we will focus on 'investing in people', further implement the 'Skills Illuminate the Future' training initiative, and carry out large-scale vocational skills training," introduced Zhai Tao, Deputy Director-General of the Vocational Capacity Building Department of MOHRSS. Targeting key groups and key fields, five training initiatives will be further organized and implemented, including youth skills enhancement, skills upgrading of migrant workers in elderly care services, cultivation of skilled talents for the low-altitude economy, skills-based employment in the new energy vehicle industry, and AI technology and skills improvement, so that training can better serve industrial development.
In addition, addressing the impact of artificial intelligence on employment has become an important consideration in the new policies. Reporters learned that MOHRSS will build an employment-friendly development model, implement initiatives to stabilize, expand and upgrade employment, introduce targeted employment support measures for key industries, and issue documents to address the impact of artificial intelligence on employment and boost employment.
At the same time, policy upgrades are on the way for employment support for key groups. MOHRSS will issue documents on employment for young people including college graduates, release opinions on the integrated urban-rural employment system, and establish a regular employment assistance mechanism to prevent people from falling back into or into poverty due to employment issues. The fifth round of the "Three Supports and One Assistance" program will be launched. Meanwhile, the "big data + on-the-ground visits" service model will be promoted, special public employment recruitment events such as the Spring Breeze Action and Employment Assistance Season will be held effectively, and the initiative to "efficiently complete the whole process of employee recruitment" will be advanced. The 2026 "Warm Spring for Migrant Workers" service campaign will also be carried out.
Holding public employment service activities is an important measure to promote the matching of labor supply and demand, as well as a key means to ensure the implementation of employment policies.
Recently, MOHRSS has released the schedule of public employment recruitment events for 2026 to the public. Zhang Yutian, Deputy Director-General of the Employment Promotion Department of MOHRSS, stated that in the specific organization of future recruitment events, human resources and social security departments at all levels will enhance the high-quality supply of policies and services, carefully collect, screen and release job information based on the characteristics of the target groups of each event, and focus on matching people with suitable positions.
In the field of rights and interests protection, a number of groundbreaking policies are soon to be introduced.
To adapt to the development trend of flexible employment and new forms of employment, China will formulate the Measures for the Protection of the Basic Rights and Interests of Workers in New Forms of Employment, which will further clarify the labor standards for new forms of employment and enterprises' responsibilities for labor protection. The Interim Provisions on the Protection of the Basic Rights and Interests of Over-age Workers will be issued, and the amendment of the Regulations on Paid Annual Leave for Employees will be promoted to urge employers to implement the paid annual leave system for employees. In terms of social security, the coverage of social security will be further expanded, and flexible employees and those in new forms of employment will be encouraged and supported to participate in employee insurance.
"New forms of employment have become an important part of China's labor market and also a major growing trend of the market. The new policies will lay part of the institutional foundation for the profound changes in employment forms and structures in the future labor market, avoid the contraction of enterprise employment and hindrance to innovation, help clarify the bottom line and define responsibilities clearly, and represent an important attempt to promote high-quality and full employment," said Zhang Chenggang, Director of the China Center for New Employment Forms Research at the Capital University of Economics and Business.
"With the gradual implementation of the series of new policies, China's advantages in human resources will be further strengthened, the social security net for people's livelihood will be firmly established, and solid support will be provided for a good start to economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period," Zhang Chenggang added.
Source: China News Service - Economic Information Daily
