(Yicai) Feb. 28 -- The Shanghai government will ensure that 550,000 new jobs are created this year to keep the urban jobless rate below 5 percent, online news outlet The Paper reported.

The municipal government will lure more people, especially the younger generation, to find employment or start their own businesses in Shanghai, the report said, citing a conference held by the city government today to lay out the tasks for the year.

There should be more employment-related support targeting university graduates and no effort should be spared to provide tailored services for and to protect the rights and interests of gig-economy workers, it added.

Shanghai will offer vocational training to 1.2 million people this year and upskill 45,000 workers, it said.

Last year, the jobless rate in the metropolis stayed at around 4.5 percent, the report said. Some 606,000 new jobs were created and 93.5 percent of last year’s graduates have now found employment.

The municipal government helped 12,300 young people, who had been jobless for a long time, to find paid work or start their own businesses, it added.

Editor: Kim Taylor