CHENGDU -- Vice-Premier Ma Kai has urged efforts to promote steady growth in employment by improving supportive policies, stepping up vocational training and enhancing services.

Ma said that although new jobs created in the first three quarters exceeded the full-year target, there are still conflicts between slowing economic growth and the country’s massive labor supply, according to a statement on the government’s website, www.gov.cn.

“The structural mismatch of labor supply and demand is becoming increasingly conspicuous, and no efforts should be spared in promoting employment,” Ma said in an inspection tour to Southwest China’s Sichuan province on Oct 24.

In the first nine months of this year, a total of 10.82 million new jobs were created, 160,000 more than a year ago and exceeding the government’s full-year target of at least 10 million new jobs for 2014.

The work of promoting employment is an important foundation for steady economic growth, smooth reform progress and social harmony and stability, Ma said.

He urged local governments at all levels to make employment a priority in social and economic development and make all-out efforts to ensure a stable job market.