Xi Urges Focus on Jobs With China Economy Under Growing Strain

  • Anticipates 'many hardships' as supply-side reform deepens
  • Tells regions to improve product quality, foster new industry

Xi Jinping.

Photographer: Tim Rue/Bloomberg
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Chinese President Xi Jinping said more should be done to deal with unemployment as the government tries to curb overcapacity in state-owned enterprises, anticipating “many hardship” as the world’s second-largest economy comes under increasing strain.

“As supply-side structural reform deepens, some employees will be laid off,” the official Xinhua news agency reported Xi as saying during an April 24-27 visit to Anhui province. “We should pay more attention to employment, create more jobs, and implement and improve assistance measures.”