Some 5.1 million laid-off workers found jobs again in 2005, among which 1.1 million are aged between 40 and 50, the latest figures released by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) showed.

China's laid-off workers from state-owned enterprises were about 610,000 by the end of 2005, the number being reduced by 920,000 compared with the figure for the 2004 year-end, the NDRC statistics showed.

The country's fast growing economy has helped to create more jobs in 2005. About 9.7 million people were employed in town last year, while the employment goal set for the year was about 9 million.

The NDRC also found a slower growth of unemployment in reviewing last year's employment conditions. By the end of 2005, China's local governments had registered 8.39 million unemployed workers in town, 110,000 more than the previous year but growing at a lower rate. The unemployment rate in town was 4.2 percent in 2005, the same as the previous year.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture, 108 million rural residents went into town to seek jobs in 2005, 5.64 million more than in 2004, representing the fastest pace in recent five years.

The statistics also showed that among the 108 million rural workers, 57.8 percent have a stable job, up 2.9 percentage point from 2004, at a monthly pay of 852 yuan (US$105.19), up 6.1 percent over the previous year.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2006)