China says overall pressure on employment yet to ease

China still faces structural employment issues and the pressure on jobs has not eased, the country's human resources minister said on Saturday, as the slowing economy braces for another record number of college graduates in 2024. The job market has seen a good start to the year, particularly in the artificial intelligence and big data segments, said Human Resources Minister Wang Xiaoping, adding that 32,000 job fairs have been held so far in 2024. Still, authorities will strengthen policy support to improve youth employment and step up support for small private firms, Wang told a news conference on the sidelines of an annual parliament meeting in Beijing.