China’s Labor Law increased the number of signed contracts but met some obstacles, including the economic downturn, in its first year of implementation. Hua Jianmin, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress, said that in the year up to September 2008, contract-signing of large-sized companies rose by 2.3 percent year-on-year. However, employers in dining, entertainment, tourism, and other labor-intensive sectors, were still reluctant to sign a contract. Also, the practice of hiring subcontracted workers and temporary workers dispatched from other companies increased, as employers avoided labor benefits.