A job market winter gives rise to hopes for spring

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A Job Market Downturn, But Hope for Spring March 11, 2009, 11:13 Guests: Zheng Xiaoyan (Vice Chairman of the Provincial Political Consultative Conference, National Political Consultative Conference) Gong Jianhua (National People’s Congress representative, Mayor of Yichun City) Liao Liping (National People’s Congress representative, Party Secretary of Xiaobu Town, Ningdu County) Host: Huang Ying (Special correspondent for this newspaper) Time: 8 p.m. on March 9 ■ Pressure: Stay calm and rational, and take proactive measures to address the job crisis Host: Since the international financial crisis, Jiangxi, as a province that sends many workers abroad, is facing the problem of an increasing number of migrant workers returning home. May I ask Mayor Gong and Secretary Liao, as local leaders, what are your thoughts on this? Do you think the job market is tough? Gong Jianhua: In the rural areas of Yichun, there are over 1.9 million surplus laborers, and nearly 700,000 of them have found employment along the coast. Affected by the international financial crisis, some migrant workers have begun to return home, and to date, approximately 35,000 people have stayed at home after returning. At the same time, the newly emerging urban and rural labor force, together with some laid-off workers in towns and cities and migrant workers returning to their hometowns, creates significant employment pressure. To address these issues, we have taken active steps to strive to create more employment opportunities for the general public. Liao Liping: Since last October, out of the more than 3,000 migrant workers from our town who were working elsewhere, over 1,800 have returned to their hometowns one after another. Will they go out to work again after they return? Is it possible to find employment or start a business? This is a problem that the town’s Party committee **must address**. So far, through the efforts of all parties, some have gone back to work, some are employed or starting businesses at home, with more than 500 people still remaining in the countryside. Now, we are confident that we can solve these problems. Host: How should we view the current severe employment situation? Zheng Xiaoyan: Premier Wen placed employment at an unprecedented level in his **work report. I believe that the current severe employment situation is partly due to the impact of the international financial crisis ； On the other hand, structural adjustments and industrial upgrading have raised the skill requirements for migrant workers ； On top of that, the increasing number of university graduates each year adds to the employment pressure. But we should still have confidence. In the case of Jiangxi, we have over 90 industrial parks, as well as major projects and industrial initiatives, all of which provide excellent opportunities to address the employment issues of migrant workers and college graduates. Regarding the current employment situation, on the one hand we need to view it calmly, and on the other hand we must take proactive measures without being overly pessimistic. Gong Jianhua: If we view returning migrant workers merely as a source of pressure, or even as a burden, we may miss an opportunity for economic development, particularly the chance to attract the relocation of industries from coastal areas. We should clearly recognize that the return of migrant workers from coastal areas represents both challenges and pressures, as well as opportunities, and even a source of wealth. We can definitely resolve this issue through **'s efforts, as well as the efforts of the migrant workers themselves. ■ Confidence: Turning crises into opportunities and breaking through the employment downturn. Host: With a number of small and medium-sized enterprises in coastal areas shutting down, labor markets in regions such as the Pearl River Delta have shifted from a shortage of migrant workers to a shortage of job opportunities. Since last year, many migrant workers in our province have returned to their hometowns. Have there been any changes in the flow of migrant workers in recent months? Gong Jianhua: At present, there has been no significant change in the flow of migrant workers in Yichun City. The pressure we face now is not only the fact that employment opportunities in coastal areas are decreasing due to companies cutting salaries and raising the requirements for entering such companies, forcing migrant workers there to return to their hometowns ； At the same time, some enterprises in inland areas and locally have also had to lay off employees and cut salaries due to market pressures. Therefore, overall, the flow of migrant workers has not changed significantly; only a portion of them have returned from the coastal areas to the interior. Liao Liping: Before the international financial crisis, the party committees in our towns and villages always had this desire that those who went out to work could return and contribute to the development of new rural areas in their hometowns. After the international financial crisis occurred in the second half of last year, a number of migrant workers who had gone out to work returned to their hometowns, and their return brought a great opportunity for the development of new rural areas. Before I came to Beijing for the meeting, two villages submitted applications to the town party committee to become sites for new rural development. In one of these villages, over 70 migrant workers who returned to their hometowns decided not to go out to work this year; in another village, more than 60 people who returned stayed at home. These returnees said that it’s currently difficult to find work outside, so it’s a good idea to stay home and contribute to the development of the new countryside. Now, these two villages have been preliminarily designated as new rural development sites for 2009. We regard this group of people as wealth, not a burden. Host: What measures have been taken to address the employment situation of migrant workers at present? Gong Jianhua: To address the employment issues of migrant workers returning to their hometowns at present, we mainly adopt a \"four-pronged approach\" to solve them. First, drive development through the economy and strive to create job opportunities for migrant workers returning to their hometowns. Second, establish policy incentives to support returning migrant workers in starting businesses again. We are currently carrying out large-scale development of camellia oil plantations; just one migrant worker who returned to his hometown has invested in the creation of 100,000 mu of such plantations, which has created employment for thousands of people. He has also set up processing plants and other facilities. Third, by providing proper training, enhance the employment skills of migrant workers returning to their hometowns. Fourth, strive to provide migrant workers with a good platform and a favorable environment through services. Through these “four actions,” initial results have already been achieved. ■ Guidance to break through bottlenecks and lower employment barriers. Host: Jiangxi is a major province for labor export. But there is one phenomenon worth paying attention to. At present, on the one hand, some migrant workers cannot find jobs, while on the other hand, many industrial parks and enterprises are facing difficulties in recruiting staff. How should we view the current employment challenges? Zheng Xiaoyan: Migrant workers need to change their employment mindset, and at the same time they must take their own skills into consideration. Working with a certificate will be something that migrant workers must face in the future. Migrant workers should feel a sense of urgency regarding their skills and strive to improve them through learning and training. There is also the issue of structural labor shortages; although there is a large workforce available, the quality of this workforce may not meet the needs of employers. Gong Jianhua: The challenges of finding employment and recruiting workers coexist; there are issues of information asymmetry as well as mismatches between demands and qualifications. In our practical work, we will strive to create platforms for connecting information, such as linking those looking for jobs with those who wish to employ them, and addressing this issue through ongoing supply-and-demand connections via the internet, media, and labor markets. To achieve the goal of leaving nothing out, it is necessary to register every migrant worker returning to their hometowns and those who wish to find employment; to understand their employment aspirations without exception; and to provide them with one or two job opportunities each, including delivering services to disadvantaged groups, especially those with weaker vocational skills. Of course, the emergence of a surplus and shortage of labor is also related to the structural quality of the labor force itself and the asymmetry in labor demand. For example, for sanitation workers, we recruit from the general public, but we can’t find candidates. Therefore, **training is needed to facilitate a smooth transition to new roles, in order to address the contradictions caused by structural imbalances and shortages. ■ Looking forward to policy support and efforts to create a favorable environment for entrepreneurship. Host: In response to the difficulties faced by migrant workers in finding employment, various levels of government have introduced many preferential policies. What are your thoughts on these policies? Zheng Xiaoyan: It must be said that these preferential policies are very good, but in some aspects they need to be more specific and detailed so that farmers can make good use of them. Furthermore, the preferential policies for migrant workers should be consistent, so that the public feels that these policies are serious and will not change. Liao Liping: The preferential policies for migrant workers are very well received by them. The key is to implement it; it cannot remain merely on paper or in words. The service must also be of high quality; through thoughtful and meticulous service, migrant workers can be motivated to focus entirely on starting their own businesses. Host: In the face of the international financial crisis, how can the wave of migrant workers returning to their hometowns be turned into a wave of entrepreneurship? What are the urgent issues that need to be addressed? Zheng Xiaoyan: To turn the trend of people returning to their hometowns into a trend of entrepreneurship, **it is not only necessary to introduce favorable policies, but it is even more important to provide entrepreneurship education in order to further stimulate the entrepreneurial enthusiasm of migrant workers returning to their hometowns. Jiangxi has long promoted the concept of entrepreneurship for all, aiming to attract and encourage more migrant workers to get involved in starting businesses. For farmers who wish to start businesses, the barriers to obtaining loans should be reduced, and the forms of lending should be more flexible. Furthermore, it is also necessary to fully leverage the exemplary role of capable individuals. Liao Liping: Migrant workers who return to their hometowns to start businesses and develop industries have very limited capacity to bear market risks. Earning money with hard work, only to lose it all if the business fails upon returning to start a business. Therefore, migrant workers hope to **be given a helping hand to get started, so as to create more favorable conditions for them to find employment and start businesses. Gong Jianhua: Entrepreneurship driven by labor can create a group, or even an entire community, of employed people. As long as one has the right qualities, skills, and a certain amount of financial resources, I believe one should boldly pursue the path of starting one’s own business. How to attract people with a certain amount of initial capital to return to their hometowns to start businesses is an issue we need to focus on. Host: Do any of you have any good suggestions regarding the employment of migrant workers and college students at present? Zheng Xiaoyan: To address the problem of difficult employment, **the government, society, enterprises, and individuals all have a responsibility to take action. First of all, both migrant workers and college students need to change their mindset and adopt a correct attitude toward choosing a career. Furthermore, **policies should be established to lower employment barriers and create more job opportunities. Gong Jianhua: I believe that to solve the employment problem of migrant workers, it is necessary to rely on external support, but more importantly, self-reliance plays a decisive role. If one relies entirely on ** for support, they won’t be able to go far; the key is to follow one’s own path, to know how to make use of **’s assistance in order to navigate through life successfully. Liao Liping: **It is necessary to guide things according to the circumstances, fully respecting the farmers’ own desire to return to their hometowns to start businesses or find employment, and helping them do so through various forms and channels. I believe that in the near future, a spring for employment and entrepreneurship will surely arrive.