BEIJING - China's top labor official said the country will face a tough employment situation in the next five years.

Yin Weimin, minister of human resources and social security, said that with an abundant labor force China will be under pressure to create jobs during the next Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).

"We estimate that 24 to 25 million new job opportunities will be needed in urban areas each year over the next five years, a little more than the number in the past five-year period," he said.