Monthly surveyed urban adult unemployment rate in China 2021-2024

In October 2024, the surveyed unemployment rate of people between 30 and 59 years of age in urban areas of China ranged at 3.8 percent. December 2023 unemployment figures were prepared by the National Bureau of Statistics of China using for the first time an adjusted methodology for calculating age specific unemployment rates. According to the new methodology, university students are not included in the figures any more. Furthermore, the age range for adult unemployment has been split up into two age groups from 25 to 29 and 30 to 59 years.

Adult unemployment is commonly considerably lower than youth unemployment. Therefore, the total unemployment rate in urban areas of China is usually slightly higher than the adult unemployment rate of people aged 30 to 59.