BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- China has created 7.57 million new jobs in the first eight months of this year in a bid to guarantee employment amid global economic downturn, a senior legislator said here Friday.

    The number accounted for 84 percent of the full-year target in 2009, and the employment situation was better than expected, said Huang Zhendong, chairman of the Committee for Internal and Judicial Affairs under the National People's Congress (NPC).

    Huang made the remarks in a report on the enforcement of Trade Union Law delivered at the 11th session of the 11th NPC Standing Committee on Friday.

    About 3.57 million laid-off workers had been re-employed in the first eight months, or 71 percent of the 5-million target for the whole year, Huang said.

    Most of the migrant workers who had returned home after being laid off had found new work. Some even started their own businesses in their hometowns, Huang said.

    As the global financial crisis spread rapidly in the second half of last year, many enterprises suffered problems of overcapacity or even bankruptcy, causing an increase in unemployment, Huang said.

    A series of counter-measures including expanding domestic demand to boost employment, encouraging business startups and offering help to special groups, had made notable achievements, he said.