ECONOMY

China Youth Unemployment Falls to 16.5%

Published: Jan. 22, 2026 6:24 p.m. GMT+8

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China’s youth unemployment rate fell to 16.5% in December 2025, the lowest level in the second half of the year, as seasonal factors eased labor market pressures, official data showed Thursday.

The surveyed urban jobless rate for people aged 16 to 24, excluding students, declined by 0.4 percentage points from November, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

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China’s youth unemployment rate fell to 16.5% in December 2025, the lowest in the second half of the year.
The rate for ages 16 to 24 (excluding students) declined by 0.4 percentage points from November, per NBS data.
Despite improvement, youth unemployment remains higher than a year ago; overall urban unemployment averaged 5.2% in 2025.

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