China creates 12.56 million new urban jobs in 2024

China created a total of 12.56 million new urban jobs in 2024, surpassing the government's annual target of 12 million new urban jobs, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday, citing data from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

The urban survey unemployment rate averaged 5.1 percent in 2024, a year-on-year decline of 0.1 percentage points, official data showed.

The ministry said that it will implement employment support plans for key areas, key industries, urban and rural grassroots levels, and medium-sized, small and micro enterprises, and establish a mechanism for the collection and release of job in major projects.

To boost employment for key groups, the ministry will introduce documents on the employment of college graduates, create new jobs for young people in areas such as rural revitalization, community governance, social security and healthcare. Research-focused and managerial internships will also be launched.

China is projected to see a surge in the number of college graduates in 2025. With an estimated rise of 430,000 graduates from the previous year, the total number of college graduates is expected to reach 12.22 million, according to official data.