BEIJING - The Chinese mainland has expanded its unemployment insurance to cover people from Taiwan.

Since November, unemployed people from Taiwan who have worked in the mainland for at least six months and signed up to local social insurance plans have been able to apply for an unemployment allowance, Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said at a press conference on Wednesday.

They also can get re-employment services from the mainland government, according to Fan.