BEIJING - China's employed population increased by 3.42 million in the first quarter of this year, while the registered urban unemployment rate stood at 4.1 percent, a spokesman for the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said Thursday.

The employment situation has been favorable in the first quarter, spokesman Yin Chengji told a news conference.

The urban unemployment rate from January to March remained unchanged from 4.1 percent in 2012, and it may contribute to realizing this year's target of keeping the unemployment rate at or below 4.6 percent.

However, employment pressure is increasing as the number of job-seekers has continued to rise, especially among college graduates, Yin said.

The employment of college graduates has been and will be a focus of government efforts in the coming years, he said.

China will see a record-high 6.99 million people graduate from college this year, up 2.8 percent year-on-year.

The government will provide more internship programs and vocational training for college students in their senior year and organize more job fairs targeting new graduates, Yin said.

It will also work out more preferential policies to encourage young people to start their own businesses, he added.

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