BEIJING, Dec. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- China has helped 14 million laid-off workers find jobs over the last three years thanks to a batch of preferential policies and programs developed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MLSS).

　　In each of the last three years more than ni ne million people found jobs in urban areas. That was two million more than in 2002.

　　In late 2002 the China's central government established programs to help laid-off workers to find new jobs.

　　At the end of November this year, 27.65 million people across the country started new jobs. This included 14.25 million people who had been laid off and 3.7 million people in their forties and fifties who had had trouble finding jobs after being laid off. The MLSS says the unemployment rate is 4.3 percent in urban areas.

　　Since 2003, 11 million laid-offs have received government-funded training and 60 percent of them re-employed. Some 800,000 people received training on how to start a business and 55 percent successfully did so.

　　Recently, the State Council, or the central government, released new data on programs that will cultivate a more flexible employment environment next year. Enditem