(China Economic Roundtable) China boasts huge employment potential in service sector: official

BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's economic development has effectively boosted employment and created new job opportunities in multiple fields, an official said on Tuesday.

Liu Rihong, an official from the Research Office of the State Council, made the remarks during the latest episode of China Economic Roundtable, an all-media talk show hosted by Xinhua News Agency.

Liu noted that emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI) and new energy vehicles face an estimated job gap of several million.

He emphasized that the service sector, as a massive "reservoir" for employment, currently absorbs approximately 50 percent of the total workforce, indicating significant potential for further job growth in the field.

Improving employment quality, according to Liu, requires policy support and sound corporate development, which in turn will generate more job opportunities. Meanwhile, workers themselves need to enhance their professional qualifications. Additionally, fostering new occupations and positions -- including those related to AI -- is crucial.

Liu added that efforts should also focus on strengthening employment security, noting the push to encourage workers in new and flexible forms of employment to participate in urban employee insurance.

"A comprehensive approach will be adopted to promote the expansion of employment and the improvement of employment quality," the official said. ■