2026.04.1602:10:41UTC+00China Jobless Rate at 13-Month High

China’s surveyed urban unemployment rate rose to 5.4% in March 2026, up from 5.3% in February and above market expectations of 5.2%, marking the highest level in thirteen months. Among the locally registered labor force, the unemployment rate held steady at 5.4%, while joblessness among the migrant labor force increased to 5.3% from 5.0%. Within the migrant workforce, individuals with agricultural household registration faced an unemployment rate of 5.7%. Across 31 major cities, the surveyed urban unemployment rate climbed to 5.3%, compared with 5.1% in each of the previous two months. Over the same period, enterprise employees nationwide worked an average of 48.1 hours per week.