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for the shrinking labor force is the Chinese one-child policy, which had been in effect for nearly 40 years, until it was revoked in 2016.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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in China was reported at 47.17 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (modeled ILO estimate) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in China was reported at 83.76 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Ratio of female to male labor participation rate - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Labor force, female (% of total labor force) in China was reported at 45.1 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Labor force, female - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

China: Labor force, million people: The latest value from 2023 is 781.1 million people, a decline from 782.99 million people in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 20.40 million people, based on data from 178 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1991 to 2023 is 747.06 million people. The minimum value, 648.19 million people, was reached in 1991 while the maximum of 782.99 million people was recorded in 2022.

Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in China was reported at 50.03 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (modeled ILO estimate) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

China: Male labor force participation rate: The latest value from 2024 is 71.11 percent, a decline from 71.6 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 69.88 percent, based on data from 176 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1990 to 2024 is 78.37 percent. The minimum value, 71.11 percent, was reached in 2024 while the maximum of 85.11 percent was recorded in 1990.

Historical dataset showing China labor force participation rate by year from 1990 to 2024.

In 2024, the female labor force participation rate in China was ***** percent. Between 1990 and 2024, the figure dropped by ***** percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Key information about Hong Kong SAR (China) Labour Force Participation Rate

• Hong Kong SAR (China) Labour Force Participation Rate remained the same rate at 56.9 % in Jan 2025, compared with 56.9 % in the previous month.
• Hong Kong SAR (China) Labour Force Participation Rate is updated monthly, available from Dec 1981 to Jan 2025, with an average rate of 61.2 % .
• The data reached the an all-time high of 66.2 % in Sep 1984 and a record low of 56.9 % in Jan 2025.
• Hong Kong SAR (China) Labour Force Participation Rate is reported by reported by Census and Statistics Department.
• In the latest reports, Hong Kong SAR (China) Population reached 7.5 million people in Dec 2023.
• Unemployment Rate of Hong Kong SAR (China) remained the same at 3.1 % in Jan 2025.
• The country's Monthly Earnings stood at 2,426.6 USD in Sep 2024.

Graph and download economic data for Labor Force Participation Rate - Asian (LNU01332183) from Jan 2000 to Jul 2025 about participation, asian, civilian, 16 years +, labor force, labor, household survey, rate, and USA.

Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) in China was reported at 43.83 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (modeled ILO estimate) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

CN: Unemployment: % Change data was reported at 0.630 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.030 % for 2014. CN: Unemployment: % Change data is updated yearly, averaging 3.203 % from Dec 1986 (Median) to 2015, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 27.669 % in 1989 and a record low of -8.090 % in 1991. CN: Unemployment: % Change data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Monetary Fund. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.IMF.IFS: Labour Force, Employment and Unemployment: Annual.

As of 2021, there were nearly ****** Chinese workers in Africa, a decrease from the previous year when around ******* of them worked under contracted projects and in labor services in the region. The count of the Chinese labor force in Africa fluctuated over the years under review, peaking in 2015, when more than ******* employees were registered.