China

China says 20 million migrant workers have lost their jobs during the economic downturn - three times greater than had been suggested previously. A survey carried out in 15 provinces suggests around 15% of the total migrant labor pool is now unemployed. Each year between five and seven million new workers from rural areas come to China's biggest cities looking for work. They join a migrant worker labor force estimated at around 130 million. There are fears that large numbers of unemployed workers could lead to social unrest. (BBC)