国内英语新闻:Premier Wen highlights employment, medicare, housing in online chat

BEIJING, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Top "livelihood concerns" of Chinese people such as employment, medicare, housing and widening wealth gap were key topics in Premier Wen Jiabao's online chat with netizens on Saturday.

EMPLOYMENT PRESSURE

China is facing serious challenges in employment, though labor shortage has been found in booming coastal cities recently, Wen said.

He attributed the labor shortage to possible economic recovery, lack of skilled worker and workers' growing awareness of their own rights and interests who would weigh choices for better salaries.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (L) chats on-line with netizens at two state news portals in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 27, 2010. The two major portals, namely www.gov.cn of the central government, and www.xinhuanet.com of Xinhua News Agency, jointly interviewed Premier Wen on Saturday with chosen questions raised by netizens

Although the labor shortage in certain areas signals a stabilized and recovering economy, the serious employment situation has not changed in general, Wen said.

"Every year 150 million migrant workers leave their rural homes to seek jobs in cities, 24 million urban unemployed are waiting for jobs, and the number of university graduates will hit a record high of 6.3 million this year, all adding up to the employment pressure," Wen said.

"I hope the employment situation is better than last year," he said.

Wen encouraged university graduates to start their own businesses.