What they say

Authorities need to focus on some key sectors and populations to ensure stable employment. Current Sino-US trade tensions and the global economic slowdown will inevitably affect employment in enterprises engaged in foreign trade, and university graduates are having difficulty securing jobs as they exceed market demand. Machines are becoming more intelligent and replacing manual labor in many sectors, particularly in agriculture. Firms with excess capacity are facing shutdowns which adds more pressure to low and medium-skilled laborers in job hunting. Therefore, policies ensuring stable employment should target key sectors and groups of people, including foreign trade enterprises, firms with excess capacity, traditional industrial bases, resource-based areas, as well as migrant workers, manual laborers and university graduates.

Wang Yiming, vice-president of the State Council Development Research Center

Eldercare services should be tailored to meet different needs of senior citizens as China is facing a rapidly aging population. The number of people over 60 years of age will exceed 300 million by 2025, bringing about a need for more eldercare services. To tackle the issue, more professional home-based services should be provided, including at-home nursing, senior-friendly home furnishings and at-home hospital beds. A long-term care insurance system should also be established to help ease seniors' financial burdens. Local communities can play bigger roles in supporting eldercare by offering more convenient daytime or short-term care services, meal preparation, first aid and entertainment. An evaluation system of eldercare institutions is also necessary to standardize services, and more professional personnel teams need to be formed by strengthening relevant vocational training