China Youth Jobless Rate Eases to 18%

China's urban youth unemployment rate for people aged 16–24, excluding students, eased to 18% in September 2026 from 18.9% in August, when it reached its highest level in 12 months. The National Bureau of Statistics attributed the monthly decline to graduates gradually securing jobs after the seasonal increase in unemployment during the July–August graduation period. Meanwhile, the jobless rate for people aged 25–29 edged down to 7.4% from 7.5%, while the rate for those aged 30–59 remained unchanged at 3.9%. The overall urban unemployment rate also eased to 5.2% from 5.3%, indicating a modest improvement in labor market conditions.

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%.