China's economic growth slows

China's economic growth slowed to 9% last year, performing particularly badly towards the end of the year.

The world's third-largest economy was hit hard by the global financial crisis that led to a fall in orders for Chinese exports.

But the official who announced the figures said the economy had still done relatively well in trying times.

He said the outlook for this year was good, although millions of migrant workers have already lost their jobs.

China's economy grew by 13% in 2007, according to revised figures released recently. But it did not do quite so well last year.

At a press conference to announce last year's figures, Ma Jiantang, head of the national bureau of statistics, said: "In 2008, we saw an eventful and extraordinary year."

He said China's economy had been affected by a series of natural disasters, such as the earthquake in May, and by the financial crisis.

Millions left jobless

It is this last event that has hit the Chinese economy hardest - and the crisis is getting worse, said Mr Ma.

The figures show China's economic growth slowed rapidly towards the end of the year.

Growth in the first quarter of last year was 10.6%, but that had slowed to just 6.8% in the last three months of 2008 - after the financial crisis had struck.

That crisis has led to less demand for Chinese products across the world.

Mr Ma revealed that millions of migrant workers - villagers who travel to cities to work in factories - had already lost their jobs.

He did not give an absolute figure for the number of migrants who are now jobless, but he said a survey showed about 5% had lost their jobs.

China's Academy of Social Sciences recently said that there were about 200 million migrant workers - meaning about 10 million migrants are now unemployed.

Independent Chinese economist Andy Xie said the number of migrant workers without jobs could rise to more than 20 million.

"A lot of factories are not going to reopen after the Chinese New Year. The workers will be told not to come back," he said.

China worries that these unemployed people will cause an increase in social unrest if they are unable to find new jobs.

Mr Ma acknowledged that this was a problem. "[We] take this issue of migrant workers very seriously," he said.

To reinforce the point, he reminded those listening that China's communist leaders were improving ordinary people's living standards.

"Despite all economic difficulties, the incomes of both urban and rural households continue to climb," he said.