Employment Remains Strong

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security， 13.5 million urban jobs were created in 2017， marking the fifth straight year when the number of new employees exceeded 13 million. Registered unemployment rate in Chinese cities and towns fell to 3.9 percent at the end of 2017， the lowest in recent years.

“In the past five years， more than 66 million urban jobs have been created； both registered and surveyed unemployment rates stayed at low levels； the average employment rate for college graduates remained above 90 percent； and 1.1 million workers affected by the national initiative to cut overcapacity have been outplaced through various channels，” said Minister Yin Weimin. These are no small feats for a country facing lower economic growth， intensified economic restructuring， a strong labor supply and salient structural problems in employment.

Building Big Data Network to Study Earth

China is building a global big data network to study Earth and support research on climate change， as well as predict and mitigate natural disasters. The project will include more than 1，200 scientists at 130 institutions worldwide and cover more than a dozen subjects， ranging from oceanology to meteorology， according to Guo Huadong， who is leading the project for the Chinese Academy of Sciences （CAS）.

The network will be the centerpiece of CAS Earth， a fiveyear， RMB 1.76 billion （US $279 million） project to create a robust international environmental research network that will serve scientists and officials in China as well as countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Such information has become a strategic resource for countries， alongside natural and human resources.

Although industries such as finance and real estate have already incorporated big data into their operations， Guo said academia has struggled to keep up due to shortages in resources and research methods， inaccurate data， and a lack of datasharing mechanisms between institutions and countries.

“The new network aims to overcome these issues by creating an interdisciplinary research platform open to the world，” he said. “It will not only support Chinas goal of building a sustainable and green society， but also help other countries better understand and protect their environment， and maintain ecological security.”

Bike Sharing Good for Economy and Environment

A report jointly released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology and Guanghua School of Management of Peking University claims that bike sharing brought RMB 221.3 billion worth of social and economic benefits in 2017， created 390，000 jobs， and generated RMB 10.1 billion in information consumption. In the past two years， 23 million shared bikes have been put on the street and used in over 17 billion rides. Daily use was 70 million at the peak.

The report says that bike sharing saved the nation 1.41 million tons of petrol last year， which amounted to one percent of the national output. This means a reduction of 4.22 million tons in the discharge of carbon dioxide and a drop of 3.22 million tons of PM 2.5 emissions.

Environmental Protection Tax Sets in This Month

Over 260，000 enterprises and other entities start paying an environment tax in April， as China moves to protect the environment and cut pollutants.

The Environmental Protection Tax Law took effect on January 1， and taxpayers have to file for taxation each quarter. The first environmental protection tax declaration period starts on April 1 this year. The introduction of the tax called an end to the “pollutant discharge fee，” which China had been collecting for nearly 40 years.

Under the Environmental Protection Tax Law， which targets enterprises and public institutions that discharge listed pollutants directly into the environment， companies will pay taxes for producing noise， air and water pollutants， as well as solid waste.

Individuals do not need to pay the tax， as it is applicable only to enterprises， public institutions， and other business operators.

This is Chinas first tax clearly designed for environmental protection， which will help establish a green financial and taxation system and promote pollution control and treatment of pollutants.