SCIO briefing on China's economic performance in August 2025

Xinhua Finance:

Based on the employment data released for August, how would you assess the current performance of China's job market? What are the next steps to promote high-quality employment? Thank you.

Fu Linghui:

Thank you for your questions. Employment is fundamental to people's livelihoods, and it relates to every household. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to stabilizing employment. Local governments and departments have fully implemented policies to promote high-quality and sufficient employment, supported enterprises in hiring, improved public employment services, and expanded job opportunities through multiple channels, with a special focus on key groups. Based on the August data, the employment situation remained generally stable, as evidenced by the following aspects:

First, the surveyed urban unemployment rate remained steady. According to unemployment rate patterns, China's national urban surveyed unemployment rate typically rises seasonally each year during the July-August graduation period. As graduates gradually secure employment, the unemployment rate gradually declines. In August, the national surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.3%, up 0.1 percentage point from July, mainly due to fresh graduates entering the labor market. Compared with last year, however, the rate was unchanged, showing overall stability.

Second, the unemployment rate among the core working-age population remained stable. The urban surveyed unemployment rate for the 30-59 age group was 3.9% in August, unchanged from both the previous month and the same period last year, indicating stable employment among the core working-age population.

Third, the unemployment rate among migrant workers declined. The unemployment rate for rural migrant workers in cities was 4.7% in August, down 0.2 percentage point from July and lower than the national average.

In summary, despite a complex external environment and persistent domestic employment pressures in both scale and structure, proactive efforts by all parties and continuously strengthened employment stabilization policies have maintained general stability in the job market. This has been no easy feat. Looking forward, while we recognize favorable conditions such as stable economic performance, the development of new quality productive forces, and the effectiveness of employment stabilization policies, we must also acknowledge that certain industries and key groups continue to face employment pressure. The structural contradiction where job seekers struggle to find work while employers face hiring difficulties remains pronounced. We must further stabilize both employment and the economy, strengthen vocational skills training, and improve labor supply-demand matching. By promoting high-quality, full employment, we can further improve people's livelihoods, foster steady and healthy economic development, and maintain overall social stability. Thank you.