FX.co ★ China Jobless Rate Edges Lower

China’s surveyed urban unemployment rate inched down to 5.2% in September 2026, aligning with market expectations and easing from August’s five-month high of 5.3%. The jobless rate among locally registered urban workers declined to 5.2% from 5.3%, while the rate for migrant workers slipped to 5.1% from 5.2%. Within the migrant workforce, unemployment among those engaged in agricultural activities held steady at 5.0%.

Across 31 major cities, the surveyed urban unemployment rate likewise fell to 5.2% in September from 5.3% a month earlier. Employees at enterprises worked an average of 48.3 hours per week. For the first three quarters of the year, the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged 5.2%. By the end of the third quarter, the number of rural migrant workers reached 192.7 million, representing a 0.4% increase year-on-year.