The number of people in China who were jobless in 2011 remained stable when compared to a year earlier, latest figures have shown.

It has been reported by Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) that the unemployment rate for the year as a whole was 4.1 per cent.

This was exactly the same level as it reported for the year before.

It said that 12.21 million jobs were created in the country over the space of the year, far exceeding the target set by the Chinese government of nine million.

The figure was also decidedly higher than in 2010, when the overall number of new jobs sat at 11.68 million.

MOHRSS spokesman Yin Chengji said that the priority in 2012 would continue to be making jobs for college graduates in the country.

China recently  launched a website which is designed to help ex-military personnel find new employment after leaving the army.