Op-Ed Contributors

Advancing human resources

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-20 08:02

Devote priority attention to maintaining and expanding employment and adopt employment-oriented macroeconomic policies

11. Employment is not only an important means for people to make a living, but also an essential way for them to participate in society for personal fulfillment and dignity. Recognizing that job creation should be at the heart of economic and social development, we firmly believe that the putting in place employment-oriented macro-economic policies is crucial to job-rich, strong, inclusive and sustainable recovery and growth in the future. We will strive to make job creation a priority macroeconomic goal within and across economies, focusing on both quantity and quality of employment. We will give more attention to employment intensive growth, as appropriate, and call for consideration of those policies which strengthen employability, productivity and labor force participation.

12. We recognize that job creation requires the effective implementation of an array of policies to increase labor demand and improve labor supply. We commit to emphasizing pro-employment labor market policies. We welcome and support workers finding jobs through multiple channels, placing more attention on opportunities for youth, women, older workers, workers with disabilities and low-wage workers, among others. We will encourage and support innovation and entrepreneurship and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, which are significant sources of employment in many economies.

13. We commit to fostering flexible, efficient and equitable labor markets supported with strong and effective public employment services. In economies where public employment services do not yet exist we commit to their establishment; in economies where public employment services already exist, we commit to ensuring that they are efficient, accessible and equitable tools for not only job-matching activities but also social integration at large. We reaffirm to establish and improve, as appropriate, labor market information systems and strengthen the capacity of labor market information collection, processing, analysis, dissemination and utilization.