In 2023, China's labor force amounted to approximately 772.2 million people. The labor force in China indicated a general decreasing trend in recent years. As both the size of the population in working age and the share of the population participating in the labor market are declining, this downward trend will most likely persist in the foreseeable future. A country’s labor force is defined as the total number of employable people and incorporates both the employed and the unemployed population. Population challenges for China One of the reasons for the shrinking labor force is the Chinese one-child policy, which had been in effect for nearly 40 years, until it was revoked in 2016. The controversial policy was intended to improve people’s living standards and optimize resource distribution through controlling the size of China’s expanding population. Nonetheless, the policy also led to negative impacts on the labor market, pension system and other societal aspects. Today, China is becoming an aging society. The increase of elderly people and the lack of young people will become a big challenge for China in this century. Employment in China Despite the slowing down of economic growth, China’s unemployment rate has sustained a relatively low rate. Complete production chains and a well-educated labor force make China’s labor market one of the most attractive in the world. Working conditions and salaries in China have also improved significantly over the past years. Due to China’s leading position in terms of talent in the technology industry, the country is now attracting investment from some of the world’s leading companies in the high-tech sector.

Labor force, total in China was reported at 773879678 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Labor force, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

In 2024, the share of total population aged 15 and older that participated in the labor force in China ranged at around **** percent. Labor force participation in China has gradually decreased over the last two decades.

Labour Costs in China increased to 58.40 points in August from 54.20 points in July of 2025. This dataset provides - China Labour Costs - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Key information about China Labour Productivity Growth

• China Labour Productivity improved by 5.84 % YoY in Dec 2024, compared with a growth of 4.43 % in the previous year
• China Labour Productivity Growth data is updated yearly, available from Dec 1953 to Dec 2024, averaging at 7.34 %
• The data reached an all-time high of 15.12 % in Dec 1970 and a record low of -26.48 % in Dec 1961

CEIC calculates Labour Productivity Growth from annual Real GDP Index and annual Employment. The National Bureau of Statistics provides Real GDP, at 1978 prices. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security provides Employment. Employment excludes Foreign Nationals working within the country. Real GDP prior to 1979 is based on Real GDP PY=100.


Further information about China Labour Productivity Growth

• In the latest reports, China Population reached 1,408.28 Person mn in Dec 2024
• Its Unemployment Rate remained the same at 5.10 % in Dec 2024
• Monthly Earnings of China stood at 1,392.46 USD in Dec 2023
• The country's Labour Force Participation Rate increased to 65.83 % in Dec 2023

The statistic shows the distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in China from 2014 to 2024. In 2024, around 22.2 percent of the workforce were employed in the agricultural sector, 29 percent in the industrial sector and 48.8 percent in the service sector. In 2022, the share of agriculture had increased for the first time in more than two decades, which highlights the difficult situation of the labor market due to the pandemic and economic downturn at the end of the year. Distribution of the workforce in China In 2012, China became the largest exporting country worldwide with an export value of about two trillion U.S. dollars. China’s economic system is largely based on growth and export, with the manufacturing sector being a crucial contributor to the country’s export competitiveness. Economic development was accompanied by a steady rise of labor costs, as well as a significant slowdown in labor force growth. These changes present a serious threat to the era of China as the world’s factory. The share of workforce in agriculture also steadily decreased in China until 2021, while the agricultural gross production value displayed continuous growth, amounting to approximately 7.8 trillion yuan in 2021. Development of the service sector Since 2011, the largest share of China’s labor force has been employed in the service sector. However, compared with developed countries, such as Japan or the United States, where 73 and 79 percent of the work force were active in services in 2023 respectively, the proportion of people working in the tertiary sector in China has been relatively low. The Chinese government aims to continue economic reform by moving from an emphasis on investment to consumption, among other measures. This might lead to a stronger service economy. Meanwhile, the size of the urban middle class in China is growing steadily. A growing number of affluent middle class consumers could promote consumption and help China move towards a balanced economy.

Key information about China Labour Force Participation Rate

• China Labour Force Participation Rate increased to 65.8 % in Dec 2023, compared with 65.8 % in the previous year.
• China Labour Force Participation Rate is updated yearly, available from Dec 1990 to Dec 2023, with an average rate of 72.1 % .
• The data reached the an all-time high of 79.2 % in Dec 1990 and a record low of 65.8 % in Dec 2022.
• China Labour Force Participation Rate is reported by reported by CEIC Data.
• In the latest reports, China Population reached 1,408.3 million people in Dec 2024.
• Unemployment Rate of China remained the same at 5.1 % in Dec 2024.
• The country's Monthly Earnings stood at 1,392.5 USD in Dec 2023.

Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate) in China was reported at 65.39 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Labor participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Share of Labour Compensation in GDP at Current National Prices for China (LABSHPCNA156NRUG) from 1952 to 2019 about compensation, China, labor, and GDP.

China City Labor Market: Supply data was reported at 3,579.000 Person th in Sep 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,282.000 Person th for Jun 2022. China City Labor Market: Supply data is updated quarterly, averaging 4,256.227 Person th from Mar 2001 (Median) to Sep 2022, with 86 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,766.367 Person th in Sep 2010 and a record low of 1,322.845 Person th in Mar 2001. China City Labor Market: Supply data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Labour Market – Table CN.GJ: City Labor Market: Supply of Labour.

The graph shows the number of employed people in China from 2014 to 2024. In 2024, the workforce in China amounted to around 734.4 million people. This marked an annual decrease of six million and is in line with a general downward trend since 2014. Workforce in China China’s total population has been declining since 2022 and dropped by 1.4 million annually to around 1.408 billion as of the end of 2024. This development is also reflected in the number of people in working age which has been shrinking since 2014. The labor force of China, which refers to the population aged 16 and over and capable of working, has been declining since 2016 and ranged at around 772.2 million in 2023. Out of the total number of employed people in 2023, about 470.3 million people were employed in urban areas, while 270.1 million people were working in rural areas. Distribution of the workforce The share of the workforce employed in the primary sector declined significantly from 36.7 percent in 2010 to 22.8 percent in 2023, only interrupted in 2022 by effects related to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the percentage of people employed in the primary sector decreased, the tertiary sector gained importance. As of 2023, about 29.1 percent of Chinese workers were employed in secondary and 48.1 percent in tertiary industries. The share of the workforce employed in the secondary sector increased until 2012 but decreased thereafter due to China's shift towards a service driven economy.

In 2023, China's labor force amounted to approximately 772.2 million people. The labor force in China indicated a general decreasing trend in recent years. As both the size of the population in working age and the share of the population participating in the labor market are declining, this downward trend will most likely persist in the foreseeable future. A country’s labor force is defined as the total number of employable people and incorporates both the employed and the unemployed population. Population challenges for China One of the reasons for the shrinking labor force is the Chinese one-child policy, which had been in effect for nearly 40 years, until it was revoked in 2016. The controversial policy was intended to improve people’s living standards and optimize resource distribution through controlling the size of China’s expanding population. Nonetheless, the policy also led to negative impacts on the labor market, pension system and other societal aspects. Today, China is becoming an aging society. The increase of elderly people and the lack of young people will become a big challenge for China in this century. Employment in China Despite the slowing down of economic growth, China’s unemployment rate has sustained a relatively low rate. Complete production chains and a well-educated labor force make China’s labor market one of the most attractive in the world. Working conditions and salaries in China have also improved significantly over the past years. Due to China’s leading position in terms of talent in the technology industry, the country is now attracting investment from some of the world’s leading companies in the high-tech sector.

China Labor Productivity: 2020P data was reported at 173,898.000 RMB/Person in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 165,752.000 RMB/Person for 2023. China Labor Productivity: 2020P data is updated yearly, averaging 143,803.000 RMB/Person from Dec 2017 (Median) to 2024, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 173,898.000 RMB/Person in 2024 and a record low of 115,104.000 RMB/Person in 2017. China Labor Productivity: 2020P data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Labour Market – Table CN.GB: Labor Productivity.

View yearly updates and historical trends for China Labor Force. Source: World Bank. Track economic data with YCharts analytics.

China: Labor force participation rate: The latest value from 2024 is 65.39 percent, a decline from 65.83 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 60.63 percent, based on data from 176 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1990 to 2024 is 72.03 percent. The minimum value, 65.39 percent, was reached in 2024 while the maximum of 79.17 percent was recorded in 1990.

This statistic shows the labor growth in China from 1995 to 2010 and a forecast until 2030. From 1995 to 2010, the labor force in China grew by *** percent.

China City Labor Market: Demand: Manufacturing data was reported at 2,357.256 Person th in Mar 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,695.201 Person th for Dec 2013. China City Labor Market: Demand: Manufacturing data is updated quarterly, averaging 1,237.107 Person th from Mar 2001 (Median) to Mar 2014, with 53 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,357.256 Person th in Mar 2014 and a record low of 161.484 Person th in Mar 2001. China City Labor Market: Demand: Manufacturing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Labour Market – Table CN.GJ: City Labor Market: Demand of Labour: by Industry.

China City Labor Market: Demand data was reported at 4,687.000 Person th in Sep 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 4,492.000 Person th for Jun 2022. China City Labor Market: Demand data is updated quarterly, averaging 4,788.862 Person th from Mar 2001 (Median) to Sep 2022, with 86 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6,682.486 Person th in Sep 2010 and a record low of 856.007 Person th in Mar 2001. China City Labor Market: Demand data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Labour Market – Table CN.GJ: City Labor Market: Demand of Labour.

China City Labor Market: Demand-Supply Ratio data was reported at 1.460 NA in Dec 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.310 NA for Sep 2022. China City Labor Market: Demand-Supply Ratio data is updated quarterly, averaging 1.055 NA from Mar 2001 (Median) to Dec 2022, with 88 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.620 NA in Mar 2020 and a record low of 0.650 NA in Mar 2001. China City Labor Market: Demand-Supply Ratio data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Labour Market – Table CN.GJ: City Labor Market: Demand-Supply Ratio.

In August 2025, China's monthly labor cost index ranged at **** index points. This was up from **** points in the previous month.