context: Starting from December 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics made adjustments to its unemployment rate statistics by age group, which lowered the unemployment data on paper. Undeniably, unemployment has received high level attention and various efforts have been carried out to boost employment.
The unemployment rates for the 16-24 and 25-29 age groups (excluding students) had been declining for three consecutive months, but this trend ended in July. On 16 August, the NBS (National Bureau of Statistics) released unemployment data for July, segmented by age group
- 17.1 percent urban unemployment rate for the 16-24 age group (excluding students)
- an increase of 3.9 percentage points from the previous month
- marking a new high for the year
- 6.5 percent unemployment rate for the 25-29 age group (excluding students)
- an increase of 0.1 percentage points from the previous month
- 3.9 percent unemployment rate for the 30-59 age group (excluding students)
- a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the previous month
- 5.2 percent national urban unemployment rate
- up by 0.2 percentage points from the previous month
- down by 0.1 percentage points compared to the same month last year
The seasonal rise in the urban survey unemployment rate in July was more pronounced in large cities. Data for July 2024 show that
- 5.3 percent urban unemployment rate in 31 large cities
- up 0.4 percentage points from June
- down 0.1 percentage points from July 2023
Liu Anhua 刘安华 NBS National Economic Comprehensive Statistics Department director attributed this increase to the more noticeable impact of graduating students entering the job market in large cities. She also noted that the Central Committee and the State Council are placing high importance on stabilising employment
- various regions and departments are continuously improving employment and entrepreneurship policies
- enhancing the public employment service system
- expanding employment opportunities through multiple channels
- focusing on youth employment and entrepreneurship, especially for university graduates
Employment among rural migrant workers remained stable in July
- 4.9 percent urban unemployment rate for non-local agricultural household labour
- 0.2 percentage points higher than in June
- 0.3 percentage points below the national urban unemployment rate
The unemployment rate for non-local household labour recorded 5.1 percent, slightly lower than the 5.2 percent seen among local household labour.
The average weekly working hours for employees nationwide in July reached 48.7 hours, an increase of 0.1 hours compared to June and consistent with the level recorded in May.
As the economy is steadily recovering, and the accelerated development of new productive forces are creating new job opportunities, employment is expected to remain generally stable, contends Liu. However, challenges remain
- overall pressure on employment persists with structural issues
- difficulties in both job-seeking and recruitment
- certain industries and key groups continue to face significant employment pressures
Moving forward, it is crucial to prioritise the employment of young people, including university graduates, and to intensify efforts to promote high-quality and sufficient employment, concluded Liu.