Millions still struggle to find work, official says

China's jobless situation is "very grave", with more than 16.5 million people out of work due to the global crisis, a senior labor official said yesterday.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, however, is "confident" that the unemployment rate will remain below 4.6 percent this year, which would still make it the highest level of unemployment since 1980, said Wang Yadong, deputy director of the employment promotion department.

Among those unemployed are about 9 million urban residents, 3 million college graduates and 4.5 million rural migrant workers.