FX.co ★ China Jobless Rate Hits 5-Month High

China’s surveyed urban unemployment rate rose to 5.3% in August 2026 from 5.2% in July, exceeding market expectations of 5.2% and reaching its highest level since March. Among the locally registered labor force, the jobless rate also climbed to 5.3% from 5.2%, while unemployment among migrant workers increased to 5.2% from 5.1%. Within the migrant labor force, the unemployment rate for agricultural workers edged up to 5.0% from 4.9% in the prior month. Across 31 major cities, the surveyed urban unemployment rate likewise rose to 5.3% from 5.2% in July. Employees at enterprises worked an average of 48.2 hours per week. For the period from January to August, the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged 5.2%, unchanged from both the average for the first seven months of the year and the same period a year earlier.