(Bloomberg) -- China will take further measures to stabilize employment as the country grapples with a flagging economy battered by the Covid-19 pandemic and a crumbling real-estate market.

The government will support businesses by continuing to implement previously announced relief measures and removing bottlenecks, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing a decision made at the State Council’s executive meeting on Wednesday, which was chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.

“The current employment situation has turned for the better, yet pressure remains significant and must not be underestimated,” Xinhua quoted Li as saying. “The government must continue to put employment front and center, and do everything possible to stabilize and increase jobs.”

China’s employment pressure started rising late last year, with widespread Covid outbreaks across the country this year forcing the authorities to lock down cities under the country’s stringent Covid Zero policy. Persistent weakness in the domestic property sector, which accounts for about a quarter of China’s economy, is also hurting jobs.

The country’s surveyed jobless rate in urban areas is near 6%, up sharply from just under 5% at the end of last year. That likely fell to 5.7% in June, according to the median forecast for data that will be released Friday.

Read: China’s Bumper Data Week Will Set Tone for Economic Stimulus

Beijing has adopted a series of measures, such as cutting borrowing costs, easing home purchase curbs and boosting fiscal spending in order to meet the country’s economic growth target of around 5.5% for this year. President Xi Jinping recently signaled he’s willing to sacrifice some short-term growth to keep Covid contained, and most economists forecast the country will not be able to reach the target.

Compared to April and May, the employment situation has turned for the better in June thanks to the measures taken to support the job market this year, Xinhua said. However, keeping employment stable remains “a daunting task” and requires further efforts, it said.

The State Council, China’s cabinet, vowed to implement the following policies to stabilize jobs:

  • Deferral of social insurance contributions by employers, refunding unemployment insurance premiums for some enterprises, and job creation subsidies
  • Up to 200,000 yuan ($30,000) of guaranteed loans will continue to be provided to eligible business start-ups and self-employed households. Local governments should earmark funds to help start-ups lower rent and other costs
  • Intensify efforts to boost employment of “key groups” such as college graduates and migrant workers
  • Efforts will be made to ensure at least one member of zero-employment families can get a job as quickly as possible
  • Employment discrimination against people who have recovered from Covid-19 infections will be strictly prohibited
  • Local governments will be held accountable for their employment targets

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