China Unemployment Rate

China’s surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.1% in December 2025, unchanged from the previous two months and slightly below market expectations of 5.2%. Among the locally registered labor force, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.3%, while the rate for the migrant labor force also remained steady at 4.7% since October. Within the migrant workforce, those holding agricultural household registration recorded an unemployment rate of 4.4%. Across 31 major cities, the surveyed urban unemployment rate likewise held steady at 5.1%. Meanwhile, enterprise employees nationwide worked an average of 48.6 hours per week. Over the whole year, the national surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged 5.2%.