Migrant workers are the backbone force in flexible jobs offered by urban sanitation and household services, and the government's support policy in this regard should treat them and urban residents equally, Premier Li said at the State Council executive meeting on July 29.

Supporting employment and start-ups for migrant workers will contribute to stable employment and more income for farmers, Premier Li said.

As more migrant workers stayed in their hometowns this year, their incomes have somewhat declined, Premier Li said, adding that government at all levels should firmly implement employment support policies to ensure people's livelihoods.

Referring to his inspection to Guizhou province on July 6, the Premier said that migrant workers have made tremendous contributions to the nation's development.

"We say that the Chinese economy has strong resilience, while it largely depends on the resilience of hardworking migrant workers," he said.

The Premier required local governments to carry out their duties in expanding employment and stabilizing employment of migrant workers living permanently in urban areas.

Efforts should be made to develop the service industry and labor-intensive industry, and greater support should be given to enterprises with more jobs for migrant workers, Premier Li said.

To further support employment of migrant workers, those at the meeting also proposed creating more jobs in and near places where they live.

“We should offer rural migrant workers more access to jobs through county-level efforts in new-type urbanization, rural water conservancy and other infrastructure, and post-disaster reconstruction.” Premier Li said.

To bring more positions for the group, the Premier called for more input into work-for-the-dole programs and raising the proportion of remunerations from them to over 15 percent from 10 percent.

The quantity of jobs available to rural migrant workers should be an important condition for adding land used for urban construction, he said.

To drive employment through entrepreneurial activities, rural migrant workers may apply for half of one-time entrepreneurial subsidies in advance if they are first-time entrepreneurs with a business running normally for over six months, the Premier said.

At the same time, intensified assistance should prioritize poor people seeking to secure jobs. Eligible rural migrant workers, such as those without jobs or unemployment insurance, and those not covered by minimum subsistence allowances should be entitled to one-time temporary allowances at their place of work or residence.

“Supporting rural migrant workers in job hunting and business start-ups not only concerns their family incomes, but also the process to push forward new-type urbanization,” Premier Li said.