China Jobless Rate Climbs to 5.2% in July

China’s surveyed unemployment rate rose to 5.2% in July 2025, up from 5% in June and above market expectations of 5.1%.

This marked the highest reading since March.

The jobless rate among locally registered labor forces reached 5.3%, while the rate for the migrant labor force was 5.1%.

Within the migrant workforce, those holding agricultural household registration recorded an unemployment rate of 4.9%.

Across 31 major cities, the urban surveyed unemployment rate stood at 5.2%, a 0.2 percentage point increase from June but slightly down 0.1 percentage points compared with July 2024.

Meanwhile, the average weekly working hours for enterprise employees nationwide remained steady at 48.5 hours.

From January to July, the national urban surveyed unemployment rate averaged 5.2%, reflecting overall stability in the labor market.