China quake leaves thousands jobless

CHENGDU, China, June 30 (UPI) -- The devastating May 12 earthquake in China's Sichuan province has left at least 372,000 urban residents without jobs, officials said.

Li Chengyun, Sichuan's vice governor, said the economic impact from the earthquake had raised the total number of unemployed in the province's cities to more than 700,000 out of a population of 27 million, Xinhua, the state-run Chinese news agency, reported Monday.

The earthquake has also adversely affected 1.2 million farmers, while more than 16,000 businesses suffered damages resulting in direct economic losses of $14.5 billion, Li said.

Xinhua reported the earthquake's death toll increased by seven to 69,195 Sunday, with the injured total remaining at 374,177. The missing total fell to 18,404.