China Unemployment Rate
China's surveyed urban unemployment rate, disaggregated by age group and household registration (hukou) status.
| Indicator | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | 10-2025 | 09-2025 | 08-2025 | 07-2025 | 06-2025 | 05-2025 | 04-2025 | 03-2025 | 02-2025 | 01-2025 | 12-2024 | 11-2024 | 10-2024 | 09-2024 | 08-2024 | 07-2024 | 06-2024 | 05-2024 | 04-2024 | 03-2024 | 02-2024 | 01-2024 | 12-2023 | 11-2023 | 10-2023 | 09-2023 | 08-2023 | 07-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National urban unemployment | 5.2 | 5 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5 | 5 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5 | 5 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.2 | 5.3 | |
| 31 major cities unemployment | 5.2 | 5 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5 | 5 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.4 | |
| Local hukou population unemployment | 5.2 | 5 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 5.3 | |
| Non-local hukou population unemployment | 5.2 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5 | 5.3 | 5 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 5 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 5.2 | |
| Youth unemployment (16-24) | 17.9 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 16.3 | 16.9 | 16.1 | 16.3 | 16.5 | 16.9 | 17.3 | 17.7 | 18.9 | 17.8 | 14.5 | 14.9 | 15.8 | 16.5 | 16.9 | 16.1 | 15.7 | 16.1 | 17.1 | 17.6 | 18.8 | 17.1 | 13.2 | 14.2 | 14.7 | 15.3 | 15.3 | 14.6 | 14.9 | ||||||
| Unemployment (25-29) | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 7 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.9 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.6 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6.1 | ||||||
| Unemployment (30-59) | 3.9 | 4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4 | 3.9 | 4 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.9 | ||||||
| Average weekly working hours | 48.2 | 48.2 | 48.2 | 48 | 48.1 | 48.1 | 48.3 | 48.6 | 48.6 | 48.4 | 48.6 | 48.5 | 48.5 | 48.5 | 48.5 | 48.3 | 48.5 | 47.1 | 49.1 | 49 | 48.9 | 48.6 | 48.8 | 48.7 | 48.7 | 48.6 | 48.7 | 48.5 | 48.6 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 48.9 | 48.7 | 48.8 | 48.7 | 48.7 |
Latest reading
National urban unemployment stood at 5.2% in Jul 2026. That is +0.2 pp from Jun 2026 and unchanged from a year earlier. The series on this page is monthly and runs from Jan 2018 to Jul 2026. Source: National Statistics Office (NSO) of China (NBS).
- Latest
- 5.2%
- Jul 2026
- vs previous period
- +0.2 pp
- Jun 2026
- vs a year earlier
- 0.0 pp
About this data
China's surveyed urban unemployment rate, disaggregated by age group and household registration (hukou) status. The 16-24 youth unemployment series is the most closely watched indicator as it reflects employment pressure among new labour market entrants. The series begins in 2018.
