The Qingdao Human Resources and Social Security Bureau in a recent announcement, declared that the city had continued its commitment to high-quality employment and the reinforcement of the social system by advancing the Qingdao talent acquisition initiative in the first half of 2024, seeing the creation of 185,500 new urban jobs and supported 22,900 new entrepreneurial ventures. Social insurance coverage has also been expanded with pension, unemployment, and work injury insurance enrollment reaching 8.56 million, 2.89 million, and 3.39 million, respectively, reflecting year-on-year growth of 4.95%, 2.37%, and 2.54%. To that end, the city has successfully attracted 119,500 new talents.

Employment remains a top priority for Qingdao, which is dedicated to enhancing job prospects through a robust policy framework. In the first half of the year, the city has made consistent progress in employment. To further bolster business stability and job creation, Qingdao will roll out a new series of unemployment insurance measures focusing on four main areas: Reduction, Refunds, Subsidies, and Enhancement. The temporary reduction of unemployment insurance rates will be extended to 1%. The unemployment insurance refund policy will now include labor dispatch units. Additionally, businesses hiring new graduates, unemployed youth aged 16-24, and recent graduates who have been out of school for under two years will receive a one-time expansion subsidy of up to 1,500 yuan per person. Finally, the scope of skill enhancement subsidies will be broadened to support faster employment for the unemployed and help current employees retain their jobs. These initiatives are designed to stabilize and expand employment opportunities, providing vital support for both businesses and job seekers in Qingdao.

Qingdao has strategically implemented various talent recruitment activities to support the development of new productive forces in this year, focusing on strengthening three key talent groups: young professionals, technical experts, and skilled workers. Initiatives such as "Qingdao Talent Gathering," "Qingdao Job Excellence," "Qingdao Talent Training," and "Craftsman Cultivation" have been advanced to attract and retain talent. To that end, Qingdao has successfully attracted 119,500 talents, a 4.48% increase from the previous year as of the end of June, while the number of high-skilled workers has risen by 13.3%, with 5,030 new high-skilled talents joining the workforce.

Additionally, Qingdao will host the 11th Hundred Universities Thousand PhDs Qingdao Visit, an annual Qingdao-based talent summit for PhD graduates and universities, from August 29 to 30 to align with the city’s industrial development needs and the specific job requirements of local employers. It will prioritize inviting unemployed PhD graduates, as well as those from the 2024 and 2025 graduating classes from partnering universities and PhDs specifically invited by employers. Activities will feature doctoral interviews, research presentations, talent matching, project discussions, university-business collaborations, and specialized workshops to attract innovative doctoral talent that meets Qingdao’s industrial development needs, encouraging them to start their careers or entrepreneurial ventures in the city.