China's state sector lays off 21 million workers

Senior officials in China say the state sector laid off 21 million workers in the last three years alone and unemployment will only intensify over the next five years.

Minister of Labor and Social Security Zhang Zuoji told a conference during the sixth day of China's annual National People's Congresspilot programs intended to train workers and delay new entrants into the labor force would improve the situation.

He said China was a country with a large population and it was an enormous task to keep 1.3 billion people gainfully employed.

11/03/01 8:01:00 | ABC Radio Australia News

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