The government has been increasing investments in infrastructure facilities to improve public services, the quality of residents' lives and social welfare.

Residents' Income

The annual wages paid to on-the-job employees totaled 86.741 billion yuan in 2008, an increase of 18.2 percent over the previous year. The average annual salary reached 43,454 yuan, up 12 percent over the previous year.

Residents' Consumption

The per capita annual disposable income of residents reached 26,729 yuan in 2008, up 10 percent over the previous year. The per capita annual living expenditure that year was 19,779 yuan, up 7.1 percent over the previous year. The Engel coefficient for urban residents reached 36 percent.

Residents' Deposits

By the end of 2008, total bank deposits by Shenzhen residents reached 490.593 billion yuan.

Employment

The government helped more than 30,000 unemployed people find jobs in 2008. The registered urban unemployment rate was 2.3 percent. Since July 1, 2008, the minimum wage inside the special economic zone (SEZ) has been 1,000 yuan per month. In Bao'an and Longgang districts, outside the SEZ, it is 900 yuan per month.

Social Security

The city has founded a health care system that covers almost every resident. In 2008, 8,313,100 residents were included in the health care system, an increase of 10.2 percent over 2007. About 5,416,700 people bought the basic old-age pension and 2,051,200 people bought unemployment insurance, up 9.7 percent and 14.2 percent respectively over the previous year.

Social Welfare

Shenzhen will take the lead in the nation to reform the present social welfare system to build a fair network that benefits nearly every resident.