China's working population has crossed an important landmark at 1 billion, about 112 million more than in 2000, the government said on Friday.
A White Paper issued by the government on its human resources said China, the fastest developing nation and the world's top manufacturing giant, has 'a vast reservoir of human resources'.
It said the country is 'actively developing human resources, bringing into full play the potential ability and value of each individual and promoting the people's all-round development'.
The number of the country's employees reached almost 780 million, it said, adding, "People having professional knowledge or special skills who contribute to society through creative work are highly regarded in China."
By the end of 2008, 'the high-quality labour force' had reached 114 million, it said.
The white paper highlighted the country's policies to cope with employment pressures and a lack of 'high-level innovative talents', the official media reported in Beijing.
It also focused on the country's human resources situation, related laws and regulations and protection of workers' rights and interests.
It said a nine-year compulsory education was made universal throughout the country in 2000, and illiteracy in people of 20 and 50 age group was basically eliminated.
By the end of 2009, the average schooling of people above 15 years old had reached nearly 8.9 years, while that of the majority of the working population was 9.5 years, of which 9.9 per cent had received higher education, it said.
A clearer picture was expected to be provided by this year's census which was expected to be ready in a year.
The country's population was expected to cross 1.5 billion by 2015. China's economy expanded 8.7 per cent in 2009 from a year earlier while in first half of 2010 it was up by 11.1 per cent.
