Laid-off workers gaining new skills

It was the last working day for Yang Hangming, a blast-furnace worker at Hangzhou Iron and Steel Group Company, but instead of being laid-off, Yang, 46, was sent to work in the human resources department at a privately-owned decorating company.

"It's better than I expected and it is good to learn something else in my new position," he said of the move.

Yang was among around 9,000 employees of the Hangzhou-based company who have been relocated along with some 3,000 contractors who have been compensated in just three months.