Urban employment in the first half increased for the first time since 1996, reported the National Statistics Bureau (NBS) on Thursday. Rapid economic development and growing seasonal employment demand were behind the gains.

In the first six months of the year, the number of people employed in urban areas reached 109.0 million, 552,000 more than the same period of 2003, according to the NBS's monthly report.

Total salaries paid reached 776.2 billion yuan (US$93.5 billion), a year-on-year increase of 14.3 percent.

During the period, approximately 68.1 million people were employed by state-owned enterprises, a decrease of 2.3 million, and 9.7 million people were employed by collective enterprises, a decrease of 1.1 million.

People employed in other economic sectors rose to 31.2 million, 4.0 million more than in the same period of 2003.

Urban wages also grew rapidly in the first half-year, with the average monthly salary rising to 7,100 yuan (about US$860), an increase of 14.1 percent year-on-year.

(China Daily July 30, 2004)