China's surveyed unemployment rate in urban areas stood at 5.4% in September, 0.2% lower than the rate recorded in August, reports news agency (English language) China News Service, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics. The surveyed unemployment rate among those aged between 25 and 59, which is the majority of the labour market, stood at 4.8% in September, unchanged from that of August. Meanwhile, the surveyed unemployment rate in 31 major cities was 5.5% last month, down 0.2% from August. A total of 8.98 million new urban jobs were created in the first three quarters of 2020, completing 99.8% of the government’s annual target. The surveyed urban unemployment rate is calculated based on the number of unemployed people who have participated in the employment survey in urban areas, including migrant workers in cities. China said it will give priority to stabilising employment and ensuring living standards this year, aiming to add over 9 million new urban jobs and keep the surveyed urban unemployment rate at around 6%. ECNS also reported that China's GDP expanded 0.7% year on year in the first three quarters of 2020.