The number of new employees in China's urban areas reached 5.95 million in the first half of this year, accounting for 66 percent of the 9-million goal set for the whole year, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security Tuesday.

Statistics also showed that 2.58 million laid-off workers found jobs again in the six months, which took up 52 percent of the 5-million goal set for the whole year.

The central government has increased the special subsidy for employment by 2.6 billion yuan, said the ministry's spokesman Hu Xiaoyi at a press conference.

The ministry has devoted more efforts to improve employment services and promote the training of skilled workers. Meanwhile, a project aiming at training technicians in east China has also been inaugurated in order to enhance the ability of workers to look for jobs or start their own businesses, Hu said.

Source: Xinhua