BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) — China’s job market has remained generally stable, with the surveyed urban unemployment rate holding steady at 5.3 percent in the first two months of 2026, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Monday.
In February alone, the surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.3 percent, 0.1 percentage point higher than the previous month, according to the NBS.
Due to the Spring Festival holiday, the rate was higher in January and February than in December 2025, while the two-month average was unchanged year-on-year, indicating stable employment, NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui said at a press conference.
“Major economic indicators saw notable improvements in the first two months, pointing to a favorable start for the national economy this year,” Fu said.
China has set a target of a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5 percent in 2026 and aims to create over 12 million new urban jobs within the year. ■
