Editorial: China’s Most Vulnerable Need More Protection During the Pandemic

Over the past three years, sluggish economic growth coupled with the Covid-19 pandemic have created increasing challenges for both businesses and consumers, but especially the most vulnerable groups of society. China’s State Council, at their executive meeting last week, refocused on the issue of employment. It came to the decision that college and university graduates unemployed for up to two years after graduation, and registered unemployed young people, would be covered by employment expansion subsidies, that unemployment insurance benefits should be disbursed quickly, and that employment of migrant workers would be stabilized through skills training. Although this highlighted the employment problems of young people and migrant workers, broader vulnerable populations are facing difficulties because of the pandemic. We should therefore attach greater importance to caring for and protecting all the vulnerable.