Unemployment Rate in China decreased to 5.10 percent in October from 5.20 percent in September of 2025. This dataset provides - China Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

China resumed the release of youth unemployment data in January 2024 after publication had been suspended for six months, using a new statistical methodology. Youth unemployment hit a record high of 21.3 percent in June 2023 after having increased for several years in a row, when a spokesman of the National Bureau of Statistics of China announced that the statistical methodology for calculating age specific unemployment rates needed improvement and publication would be temporarily suspended. The new methodology does not include university students anymore, resulting in a youth unemployment rate of **** percent in October 2025. Youth jobless figures fluctuate over the year and normally peak in July in China, when the largest number of graduates enter the job market.

Youth Unemployment Rate in China decreased to 17.30 percent in October from 17.70 percent in September of 2025. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for China Youth Unemployment Rate.

In 2024, the rate of surveyed unemployment in urban areas of China amounted to approximately 5.1 percent. The unemployment rate is expected to remain at 5.1 percent in 2025 and the following years. Monthly unemployment ranged at a level of around 5.2 percent in the third quarter of 2025. Unemployment rate in China In 2017, the National Statistics Bureau of China introduced surveyed unemployment as a new indicator of unemployment in the country. It is based on monthly surveys among the labor force in urban areas of China. Surveyed unemployment replaced registered unemployment figures, which were often criticized for missing out large parts of the urban labor force and thereby not presenting a true picture of urban unemployment levels. However, current unemployment figures still do not include rural areas.A main concern in China’s current state of employment lies within the large regional differences. As of 2021, the unemployment rate in northeastern regions of China was notably higher than in China’s southern parts. In Beijing, China’s political and cultural center, registered unemployment ranged at around 3.2 percent for 2021. Indicators of economic activities Apart from the unemployment rate, most commonly used indicators to measure economic activities of a country are GDP growth and inflation rate. According to an IMF forecast, GDP growth in China will decrease to about four percent in 2025, after five percent in 2023, depicting a decrease of more than six percentage points from 10.6 percent in 2010. Quarterly growth data published by the National Bureau of Statistics indicated 5.4 percent GDP growth for the first quarter of 2025.

China Unemployment Rate: Age 25 to 59 data was reported at 4.100 % in Jun 2023. This stayed constant from the previous number of 4.100 % for May 2023. China Unemployment Rate: Age 25 to 59 data is updated monthly, averaging 4.600 % from Nov 2017 (Median) to Jun 2023, with 67 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.600 % in Feb 2020 and a record low of 4.100 % in Jun 2023. China Unemployment Rate: Age 25 to 59 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: Surveyed Unemployment. According to NBS news, from Aug 2023, the urban surveyed unemployment rate of the young people by age group will be suspend. 根据国家统计局新闻发布会，自2023年8月份起，全国青年人等分年龄段的城镇调查失业率将暂停发布.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for China (SLUEM1524ZSCHN) from 1991 to 2024 about 15 to 24 years, China, unemployment, and rate.

In 2024, approximately 11 million people in urban areas of China had been registered as unemployed. That was an increase from 10.7 million in the previous year. Unemployment figures in China Two different sets of unemployment figures exist in China, registered unemployment and surveyed unemployment. Surveyed unemployment figures represent estimates for total unemployment in urban areas based on monthly conducted surveys. In contrast, registered unemployment refers to people in urban areas who are covered by unemployment insurance and have registered their joblessness to receive unemployment payments. As many laborers working in Chinese cities are not covered by unemployment insurance, figures for registered unemployment are always lower than those for surveyed unemployment and do not represent a correct picture of total unemployment. According to the graph at hand, absolute registered unemployment in urban China has gradually risen over the past decade. This is mainly related to an overall increase of people living and working in Chinese cities. Absolute figures for the total number of unemployed people are not published in China. Regional disparities in unemployment For several decades, unemployment figures in undeveloped western and central regions of China had been higher than those of the developing coastal provinces. This trend has been changing in recent years, as the economic development in many inner regions of China has caught up and labor intensive industries have been moved from the increasingly expensive coastal regions to cheaper locations in inner provinces. This trend has been supported by government efforts to develop the formerly underdeveloped western and central regions. Nevertheless, regional disparities remain, and overall economic conditions are still far from being equal. Nowadays, regional urban unemployment rates in the former center of the Chinese steel and heavy industries in northeastern China are the highest in national comparison, while unemployment in the southern coastal provinces Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan is comparatively low. Interestingly, the official unemployment rate of Beijing was by far the lowest in China, while that of Shanghai was much higher.

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Registered Unemployment and Job Vacancies: Total Economy: Registered Unemployment for China (LMUNRRTTCNQ156S) from Q1 2003 to Q3 2011 about China, unemployment, and rate.

China Unemployment Rate: Age 16 to 24 data was reported at 21.300 % in Jun 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 20.800 % for May 2023. China Unemployment Rate: Age 16 to 24 data is updated monthly, averaging 13.700 % from Jan 2018 (Median) to Jun 2023, with 66 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21.300 % in Jun 2023 and a record low of 9.600 % in May 2018. China Unemployment Rate: Age 16 to 24 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: Surveyed Unemployment. According to NBS news, from Aug 2023, the urban surveyed unemployment rate of the young people by age group will be suspend. 根据国家统计局新闻发布会，自2023年8月份起，全国青年人等分年龄段的城镇调查失业率将暂停发布.

The youth unemployment rate in China was 15.23 percent in 2024. Between 1991 and 2024, the youth unemployment rate rose by 10.86 percentage points, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

China Unemployment Rate: 31-City Survey data was reported at 5.200 % in Mar 2025. This stayed constant from the previous number of 5.200 % for Feb 2025. China Unemployment Rate: 31-City Survey data is updated monthly, averaging 5.100 % from Jun 2013 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 123 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.900 % in May 2022 and a record low of 4.700 % in Dec 2018. China Unemployment Rate: 31-City Survey 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: Surveyed Unemployment. [COVID-19-IMPACT]

Graph and download economic data for Infra-Annual Registered Unemployment and Job Vacancies: Total Economy: Registered Unemployment for China (LMUNRRTTCNA156S) from 1978 to 2010 about China, unemployment, and rate.

The unemployment rate in China stands at 5 percent according to the latest data from . That reading shows a decrease from the level of 5.2 percent in the previous quarter and no change from the level of 5 percent in the same quarter of the previous year. The unemployment rate data in China...

View monthly updates and historical trends for China Urban Survey Unemployment Rate. Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China. Track economic data w…

China: Unemployment rate for females: The latest value from 2024 is 3.97 percent, a decline from 4.06 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 8.08 percent, based on data from 176 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1991 to 2024 is 3.53 percent. The minimum value, 2.06 percent, was reached in 1991 while the maximum of 4.34 percent was recorded in 2020.

Actual value and historical data chart for China Unemployment Total Percent Of Total Labor Force

Key information about China Unemployment Rate

• China Unemployment Rate increased to 5.20% in Sep 2025, from the previously reported figure of 5.00% in Jun 2025.
• China Unemployment Rate is updated quarterly, available from Mar 2017 to Sep 2025, with an average rate of 5.00%.
• The data reached an all-time high of 5.90% in Mar 2020 and a record low of 4.80% in Jun 2018.
• The data is reported by reported by CEIC Data.
• In the latest reports, China Population reached 1,408.28 million people in Dec 2024.

In October 2025, the surveyed unemployment rate of people between 30 and 59 years of age in urban areas of China ranged at *** percent. December 2023 unemployment figures were prepared by the National Bureau of Statistics of China using for the first time an adjusted methodology for calculating age specific unemployment rates. According to the new methodology, university students are not included in the figures any more. Furthermore, the age range for adult unemployment has been split up into two age groups from 25 to 29 and 30 to 59 years.Adult unemployment is commonly considerably lower than youth unemployment. Therefore, the total unemployment rate in urban areas of China is usually slightly higher than the adult unemployment rate of people aged 30 to 59.

The number of unemployed persons in China increased to 1102 Tens of Thousands in the first quarter of 2022 from 1040 Tens of Thousands in the fourth quarter of 2021. This dataset provides - China Unemployed Persons - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

CN: Surveyed Unemployment Rate: Urban: Average: Shanxi data was reported at 6.100 % in Jun 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 5.700 % for Mar 2022. CN: Surveyed Unemployment Rate: Urban: Average: Shanxi data is updated quarterly, averaging 5.900 % from Mar 2022 (Median) to Jun 2022, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.100 % in Jun 2022 and a record low of 5.700 % in Mar 2022. CN: Surveyed Unemployment Rate: Urban: Average: Shanxi 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: Surveyed Unemployment.