Recovery Plan in Quake Areas Will Offer New Jobs


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China says government departments are drafting detailed long-term recovery plans for the quake-hit Sichuan Province.

Hu Xiaoyi is vice minister of human resources and social security. He said the government will devise other initiatives to help people find new jobs.

"Ten coastal provinces have signed agreements with quake-hit provinces to provide training and more jobs. The central government has drafted a detailed regeneration plan and is still making adjustments. As long as it's carried out, there will be a strong demond for labor forces. Much of the current unemployment in Sichuan is temporary and these people will soon find new jobs."

By the end of last month, over 640,000 victims had been re-employed locally, and 146,000 more had found jobs in other locations.

By the end of June, the unemployment rate was 4 percent, with nearly 8.4 million unemployed people registered in urban areas.

The official says that the Olympics will not have a major influence on the job market, as laborers still outnumber job opportunities.

Civil affairs departments are also calculating how much they should assist low-income families in the quake-hit areas and finance long-term medical treatment for seriously injured quake victims.