To promote youth-friendly city development and optimize the development environment for young people, the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress adopted a decision that took effect on June 1, 2026.

The decision covers policies and services related to youth employment, innovation and entrepreneurship, talent development, international exchanges, housing, public services, health, and online government services.

1. Employment support

Shanghai will create an employment environment that enables young people to make full use of their talents and provide policy support throughout the employment process.

The city will stabilize and expand employment, improve employment quality, and create more job opportunities for young people in manufacturing, services, emerging industries, and new technology application scenarios.

Young people will have access to comprehensive public employment services, including career planning, employment guidance, vocational training, legal advice, job referrals, and temporary accommodation. Targeted assistance will be provided to unemployed university graduates who have left school, unemployed young people, and young people facing employment difficulties.

2. Innovation and entrepreneurship

Shanghai will support youth innovation and entrepreneurship by improving supportive policies on workspace, business registration, and financing guarantees.

The city will provide accessible policy consultation and entrepreneurship guidance services, encourage more social capital to support youth entrepreneurial projects in cutting-edge technology and industry fields, and support young people in participating in municipal and national innovation and entrepreneurship competitions and activities.

Shanghai will help young people cope with entrepreneurial risks and improve guidance and assistance mechanisms for young people restarting businesses.

The city will also support young people in basic research, major science and technology projects, core technology breakthroughs, and the construction of major scientific facilities and platforms.

Young people will be encouraged to participate in the "AI+" initiative. Shanghai will focus on key industries and future industries to pilot innovation and entrepreneurship clusters, support the healthy development of the youth economy, explore new business forms, models, and scenarios, and promote the integration of culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions.

3. Talent development and overseas youth services

Shanghai will improve mechanisms for discovering, selecting, cultivating, and recruiting young talent, and promote the development of young talent in areas such as basic research, disruptive innovation, highly skilled professions, entrepreneurship, and foreign-related legal services.

The city will implement a more open talent introduction policy, improve talent attraction mechanisms, and attract more young people from China and abroad to choose Shanghai and build their careers in the city.

Shanghai will dynamically update its list of urgently needed talent and optimize the management of key talent introduction recommendation agencies.

The city will improve service policies for overseas young talent, strengthen direct contact platforms for overseas talent, and improve entry and exit convenience for overseas young talent.

4. International youth exchange

Shanghai will improve international youth exchange mechanisms and create conditions and opportunities for young people to participate in international exchanges.

The city will create an internationally friendly service environment, make life more convenient for overseas young people in Shanghai, and encourage and attract overseas young people to visit, study, and start businesses in the city.

5. Housing, public services, and family support

Shanghai will promote urban renewal, new city development, complete community development, and "15-minute community life circles" to support youth-friendly public services.

The city will expand the functions of youth centers, improve supporting facilities, enhance the quality and convenience of public services, and increase youth-oriented urban services.

Shanghai will optimize youth housing policies and improve multi-level housing services covering the job-seeking transition period, early development period, and stable development period. Eligible individuals will receive rental subsidies; and housing provident fund support for young people renting or buying homes will be strengthened to reduce housing costs.

The city will increase support for young people in marriage, childbirth, and child-rearing by implementing childcare subsidy policies, improving maternity insurance benefits, encouraging employers to create childbirth-friendly positions, and providing public-interest childcare services.

Shanghai will also promote the implementation of systems such as care leave, paid annual leave, basic medical insurance for employees, and elderly care support policies.

6. Health, support, and online government services

Shanghai will promote the physical and mental health of young people by strengthening well-rounded education, developing youth night schools, optimizing public sports facilities, and improving the mental health service system for young people.

The city will improve care and support mechanisms for young people in difficult circumstances and young people with disabilities.

Shanghai will also improve youth-related policy services and set up a youth section on the city's integrated government service platform Suishenban to optimize one-stop services for young people.

Source: Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress