China’s Urban Unemployment Rate Hits 5.3% in Q1
- China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged 5.3 percent during the first quarter of 2026.
- The data indicates a stabilization in urban employment levels year-over-year, though more recent monthly figures suggest a shift in the trend.
- To understand the current economic trajectory, these figures can be compared to the data released on April 16, 2025.
China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged 5.3 percent during the first quarter of 2026. This figure maintains the same level as the average recorded during the first quarter of 2025.
The data indicates a stabilization in urban employment levels year-over-year, though more recent monthly figures suggest a shift in the trend. According to data from Trading Economics, the surveyed urban unemployment rate rose to 5.4 percent in March 2026, an increase from 5.3 percent in February 2026. This March figure exceeded market expectations, which had projected a rate of 5.2 percent.
Historical Context and 2025 Benchmarks
To understand the current economic trajectory, these figures can be compared to the data released on April 16, 2025. During the first quarter of 2025, the surveyed urban unemployment rate also averaged 5.3 percent.
In the 2025 period, the NBS reported that the unemployment rate in March 2025 was 5.2 percent, which was a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from February 2025. The surveyed unemployment rate in January 2025 was also 5.2 percent.
For the year 2025, the Chinese government established a target for the surveyed urban unemployment rate to remain around 5.5 percent. The government also aimed to create more than 12 million new urban jobs during that year.
Labor Market and Economic Indicators
Beyond urban unemployment, the NBS tracked the movement of rural migrant workers. As of the end of March 2025, the total number of rural migrant workers grew by 1.1 percent year-on-year, reaching 187.95 million. This growth was also reflected in reports from China Daily, which noted the population of migrant workers who work outside their hometowns reached approximately 188 million by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
In March 2025, 31 major cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, maintained a surveyed unemployment rate of approximately 5.2 percent.
Broader economic data from the first quarter of 2025 showed that China’s gross domestic product grew by 5.4 percent year-on-year. However, the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) described the overall economic picture for the first quarter as mixed.
Summary of Key Employment Data
- Average surveyed urban unemployment rate (Q1 2026): 5.3 percent
- Average surveyed urban unemployment rate (Q1 2025): 5.3 percent
- Surveyed urban unemployment rate (March 2026): 5.4 percent
- Surveyed urban unemployment rate (March 2025): 5.2 percent
- Rural migrant worker population (End of Q1 2025): Approximately 188 million