Premier Wu Den-yih has directed the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) to formulate employment promotion measures with the goal of creating 99,000 jobs next year, government spokesman Su Jun-pin said Thursday. Wu said at a regular Cabinet meeting that as unemployment is a lagging indicator of the economy, the government should treat boosting employment one of its top priorities, according to Su. Wu said he has therefore asked the country's top economic planning agency in collaboration with related agencies to map out the 2009 employment promotion measures with the goal of creating 99,000 jobs, since the 2008-2009 Short-term Employment Promotion Measures will conclude at the end of this year and about 45,000 temporary jobs offered under the program will end by that time, Su said after the meeting. Considering that about 80 percent of the short-term employees need some employment services, the premier also asked the Council of Labor Affairs and related government agencies to strengthen employment consultation and vocational training services in a bid to reduce unemployment and meet the needs of employers and employees. Wu also said that related agencies should adjust their employment-boosting measures in keeping with the central government's policies to stimulate economic growth and increase employment over the next year. For example, they should chart plans for strengthening vocational training to improve employment in six key emerging industries that are slated for priority development -- tourism, health care, biotechnology, green energy, cultural and creative industries, and high-end agriculture, Wu said. Meanwhile, Wu said that Vice Premier Eric Lilun Chu will convene an inter- ministerial meeting to boost employment during the period around the Lunar New Year as the local job market would likely still be struggling because the economy has not shown any signs of a strong rebound. Wu made the remarks at the meeting after being briefed by the CEPD on the current employment situations and the responding strategies. 