China Youth Jobless Rate Surges to 1-Year High

China's urban youth unemployment rate for people aged 16–24, excluding students, rose for a second consecutive month to 18.9% in August 2026, the highest level in a year, from 17.9% in July, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This increase mirrored the broader jobless rate, which went up to 5.3% from 5.2%. An estimated 12.7 million university students graduated this summer, marking a record influx of young workers into a labour market already strained by slowing economic growth and the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for 25–29-year-olds, excluding students, inched up to 7.5% from 7.2%, while the jobless rate for the 30–59 age group remained unchanged at 3.9%.

China's urban youth unemployment rate for people aged 16–24, excluding students, fell for a third consecutive month to 14.9% in June 2026, the lowest level in a year, from 15.6% in May, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The decline points to a continued improvement in youth employment amid government efforts to stabilize the labor market, support economic growth, and better align university programs with labor market needs. Even so, the rate remained above the 14.5% recorded in June 2025. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for 25–29-year-olds, excluding students, edged down to 7.1% from 7.2%, while the jobless rate for the 30–59 age group eased to 4.0% from 4.1%. The overall surveyed urban unemployment rate also declined slightly, to 5.0% from 5.1%.

China’s urban youth unemployment rate for those aged 16–24, excluding students, dropped to 15.6% in May 2026, the lowest in eleven months, from 16.3% in April, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The fall reflects a continued improvement in the country’s youth employment market amid efforts to stabilize jobs and support economic growth. Meanwhile, unemployment among 25–29-year-olds, also excluding students, fell to 7.2% from 7.4% in the previous month, though it remains above the long-term average, suggesting that early-career workers continue to face a competitive labor market and slower transitions into stable employment. For the 30–59 age group, the jobless rate ticked down to 4.1% from 4.2%. The broader jobless rate fell slightly to 5.1% from 5.2%.