China's home appliance and electronics retail giant Gome will conduct a nationwide recruitment campaign to offer about 20,000 vacancies to migrant workers.

The new employees will be added to the retailer's delivery, installation and maintenance divisions, China Daily reported on Thursday.

The Beijing-based retailer indicated that it would employ the new hires in its outlets and in subsidiaries like Paradise, Dazhong and Sanlian.

The company announced its hiring plans during the opening of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The conference had indicated that migrant workers' employment problems were top of its agenda.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee encouraged industry to adopt a "no layoffs, no pay cuts and no wage default" policy.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security estimated that China's labor oversupply would be exacerbated this year, as 24 million people were looking for jobs. This includes 13 million new job seekers, 8 million laid-off workers and 3 million unemployed workers.

In December 2008, Gome's rival Suning said it would recruit 36,000 employees, including 1,500 senior managers, for 200 new stores in 2009. Suning also proposes to provide 8,000 internship opportunities to college students every year.

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2009)