The surveyed urban unemployment rate on average in China stood at 5.2% in the first quarter of 2024, down 0.3% over the year, reports The Global Times, citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics. March data showed the surveyed urban unemployment rate also stood at 5.2% in March, a year-on-year decrease of 0.1%.

Experts said that China's economic revival, the rapid rise of new quality productive forces and non-stop policy support are the major advantages in stabilising the labour market and will further boost employment. Sheng Laiyun, deputy director of the NBS, said policies to stabilise employment have already shown an obvious effect, and the structural problem will become more serious without supported policies.

Laiyun said that he remained optimistic about China's job market. He noted that, on the one hand, the continuously expanding economy will need labour, adding that more than 10 million jobs were created in 2023 amid a GDP increase of RMB 6 trillion (USD 828.90 billion). On the other hand, the rapidly developing services industry amid China's industrial upgrading will absorb more workers, as the services sector accounts for 55% of China's GDP and provides employment flexibility.