BEIJING, February 2 (RIA Novosti) - Around 20 million rural workers in China were forced to return home after losing their jobs as a consequence of the global financial crisis, the Xinhua news agency said on Monday.
About 15.3% or 20 million of the country's 130 million rural migrant workers have lost their jobs as the global slump takes affect and employers halt production, said Chen Xiwen, director for the government office on rural policies.
In December last year, the country's government warned in a document that 2009 could be "possibly the toughest year" and called for extra measures to create jobs and increase rural incomes.
In the fourth quarter of 2008, China's economic growth slowed to 6.8%.
