Shanghai boosts jobless benefits

SHANGHAI: The unemployment allowance for residents has been raised to help the jobless cope as they look for new work, the municipal government has said.

Starting this month, the maximum monthly unemployment allowance will be 600 yuan ($88), an increase of 50 yuan, while the minimum allowance the jobless can receive will be 435 yuan, a 20 yuan increase, the Shanghai municipal human resources and social security bureau said in a notice on Wednesday.

"The changes were made to help maintain the aid given to the unemployed and motivate them to look for new work," the bureau said.