20 million jobless migrant workers return home

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-03-2009 10:13

About 20 million jobless migrant workers have returned home as a result of the impact of the global financial crisis. Chinese officials released the figures on Monday and affirmed that the government would do its best to help them find new work in their hometowns.

About 20 million jobless migrant workers have returned home  as a result of the impact of the global financial crisis.

Millions of migrant workers headed back to their rural homes before the Lunar New Year holiday. But about 20 million of them returned with the intention of finding jobs in their hometowns. Central and local government departments have been trying to take measures to create jobs and increase rural incomes.

In Xiushui county in east China's Jiangxi Province, more than 40 migrant workers have already found new jobs planting oil-tea camellia.

Fan Zhihuang, migrant worker in Jiangxi Province, said, "I earn about sixty to seventy yuan a day, which is almost the same as what I made in the city. And it's more comfortable staying at home. The work does not require too much technical skills."

Since the end of the last year, local authorities in Jiangxi have increased investment in forestry projects to create more jobs for returned migrant workers. An official there says the total investment from both local companies and the government has risen to 4 billion yuan. He also says it will create about 130,000 new jobs.

Meanwhile, a group of migrant workers in north China's Hebei Province was assured decent incomes in 2009 by signing contracts with one of China's largest sugar producing companies. The contracts will benefit 60 thousand local farmers.

Hebei farmer Zhang Xuefeng said, "The company takes all beets, no matter how large or small. We don't have to worry about how to sell them, and the price they pay for them is good."

Some farmers believe that 2009 will be the toughest year since 2000 as a result of declining agricultural commodity prices. But the central government has said it will offer extra subsidies and provide more advanced technology in addition to improving public services for farmers.

Editor:Zhang Ning