New jobs

China created 12.02 million new jobs in the first 11 months of 2012, surpassing its goal of 9 million new jobs, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

Job hunters

China's total urban population in search of employment reached 25 million in 2012, far exceeding the 12 million new jobs created annually in recent years.

Jobless rate

The urban registered unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent at the end of September, below the annual target of 4.6 percent.

Regions in demand

Many businesses, previously located in coastal regions, have started to move inland in the past few years, in search of lower raw material and labor costs, which created many job vacancies in central and western China.

Demand for human resources increased 11.3 percent in central regions and 8.6 percent in western regions in the third quarter of 2012, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

Industries in need

According to the ministry, more than 80 percent of China's human resource demand was concentrated in the manufacturing, service, retail, catering and construction industries in the first three quarters of 2012. Among the main industries, manufacturing had the greatest demand, said the ministry.

Due to the upgrading of industries, vacancies are increasing in the nation's service sector.

Sales staff, cooks and restaurant workers are among the most sought after employees in the service sector.