New salary subsidies and training programs helped almost 5,000 residents in Daxing district - 80 percent farmers - find jobs last year.

The hiring rush came after the district's administration was merged with the neighboring Yizhuang Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA) in early 2010.

As part of a resulting development strategy, private companies were required to hire Daxing workers in exchange for land to expand, while authorities also offered free training and courses for wannabe entrepreneurs.

Official statistics show BDA firms employed more than 6,000 Daxing people last year, compared to just 1,100 in 2009.

General Electric recruited 40 experienced technicians to cope with its peak season. "In the past it was hard for us to find even 20," said production manager Liu Ying. "We had to hire students, but they were less qualified."

Although almost 10,000 Daxing people have switched from farming to other industries in the past five years, problems still remain.

"Among the employed farmers, only 23 percent serve in technical and managerial positions. Others all deal with work that requires low skill levels, such as on production lines," said Wu Qinghai, deputy director of Daxing's human resources and social security bureau.

Many people also refuse to take jobs due to the low salaries. Of the 3,000 companies in BDA, 80 percent offer a monthly wage of just 1,600 yuan. To solve the problem, district authorities offer premiums to farmers who find jobs, ranging from 100 to 300 yuan a month. Several town governments also offer cash incentives.

Jobseekers can also take advantage of training programs that run from two days to two months. "The orientation organized by the government before interviews has raised the employment rate from 20 percent to between 52 and 78 percent," said Wu. "We also offer training on how to start a business.

"We plan to help at least 8,000 workers from Daxing find jobs with BDA firms in 2011, accounting for more than 60 percent of the total number in the labor market," added Wu.