A vital step towards the Xiaokang vision of a society in which wealth is spread out among all the country's people is to provide opportunities for everyone to earn a living wage in good working conditions.

New graduates, migrants leaving their farms for the cities, laid-off workers from restructured state-owned enterprises and many others are lining up to take their place in China's new economy. China's businesses and industries are adopting cutting-edge, labour-efficient technologies and working practices, and are not creating enough jobs to match the increase in demand. Growing numbers of people are seeking jobs that are not there, or lack the skills they need to fill the opportunities that are there.

The UN, along with the Chinese government, is working to ensure that there are enough decent jobs and earning opportunities to go around, without jeopardizing China's economic growth. The Government and the UN have agreed on the need to shift towards more "jobful growth" and to improving the employment market. Strategies for accomplishing this include coordination between poor rural areas in the west and the fast-growing coastal cities; policies to create more decent work opportunities, especially for people who are at greatest risk of unemployment and low income; promoting and supporting SME development; equipping China's jobseekers with the knowledge and skills they need in today's job market, and training young people to become entrepreneurs; ensuring quality working conditions and improving workplace safety and health; and setting a minimum wage.