China Jobless Rate Hits 6-Month High

China's surveyed unemployment rate edged higher to 5.3% in August 2025, compared to market expectations and the prior month's 5.2%. The latest figure marked the highest level since February. The jobless rate among locally registered labor forces reached 5.4%, while the rate for the migrant labor force was 5%. Within the migrant workforce, those holding agricultural household registration recorded an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Across 31 major cities, the urban surveyed unemployment rate was 5.3%, up 0.1 percentage point from the previous month and down 0.1 percentage point from the same month last year. Meanwhile, the average weekly working hours for enterprise employees nationwide remained steady at 48.5 hours. From January to August, the national urban surveyed unemployment rate averaged 5.2%.