China’s average surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas was 5.2% in the first three quarters of 2026, the same as in the corresponding period last year. The quarterly averages were 5.3% in the first quarter, 5.1% in the second and 5.2% in the third.
The rate rose seasonally in the first quarter, partly due to the Spring Festival holiday. As production and business activity picked up in the second quarter, it fell month by month. It stood at 5.2% in July and 5.3% in August, before falling to 5.2% in September.
The average rate across 31 major cities was also 5.2% for the first three quarters. Monthly figures in the third quarter were 5.2% in July, 5.3% in August and 5.2% in September.
Among urban residents aged 30–59, unemployment averaged 4.1%, 1.1 percentage points below the overall urban rate. The figure declined every month from April and remained at 3.9% throughout the third quarter, unchanged from a year earlier.
According to the bureau, employment in manufacturing remained broadly stable, while employment in information transmission, software and information technology services grew significantly. Expanding cultural and tourism consumption also supported continued employment growth in accommodation and catering, transport, warehousing and postal services.
Youth unemployment declined in the first half of the year. It rose temporarily in July and August during the graduation season, but by less than a year earlier. In September, the rate fell from the previous month as graduates gradually found jobs.
