China spends more on social security, employment in first 8 months

BEIJING -- China has spent more money from its general public budget on improving people's livelihoods and keeping the job market stable this year, according to official data released Friday.

Expenditure on social security and employment totaled 2.53 trillion yuan (about $365.05 billion) in the first eight months of 2022, up 6.6 percent year on year, data from the Ministry of Finance shows.

The country also saw increased spending on science and technology during the January-August period, surging 20.6 percent year on year.

Spending on the health field ticked up 8.9 percent over the same period in 2021 to reach 1.41 trillion yuan.

China's general public budget expenditure reached nearly 16.52 trillion yuan during the period, expanding 6.3 percent over the previous year, according to the ministry.