China Exceeds 10 Million New Urban Jobs in First Nine Months of 2025, Nearing Annual Target

Significant Progress Towards Employment Goals

China successfully generated 10.57 million new urban jobs during the first nine months of 2025, reaching 88 percent of its annual employment target. This achievement was announced on Wednesday by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS). Cui Pengcheng, spokesperson for the MOHRSS, confirmed these figures at a press conference, highlighting the country's intensified efforts to maintain a stable job market.

The nation's goal for 2025 is to create over 12 million new urban jobs and maintain the surveyed urban unemployment rate at around 5.5 percent. The latest data indicates that the surveyed urban unemployment rate registered 5.2 percent in September, marking a decrease of 0.1 percentage points from the previous month and remaining below the annual target.

Comprehensive Measures Bolster Job Market Stability

The robust job creation figures are attributed to a series of proactive measures implemented by the Chinese government to support employment. These initiatives aim to alleviate burdens on businesses and stimulate job growth across various sectors. Key measures include:

• Temporary reductions in unemployment insurance premiums: This policy helped businesses cut labor costs by an estimated 138.4 billion yuan (approximately US$19 billion) in the first three quarters of the year.
• Job retention subsidies: A total of 19.6 billion yuan was distributed to enterprises to help stabilize payrolls and prevent layoffs.
• Vocational training and job promotion programs: Investments of 16.6 billion yuan were made to enhance skills and facilitate employment opportunities.
• Entrepreneurship support: The government provided one-time business subsidies totaling 900 million yuan to 140,000 enterprises, benefiting 600,000 young people, including recent college graduates.
• Extensive job-matching services: Over 56,000 job fairs were held nationwide during the first nine months, advertising around 17 million job vacancies.

These efforts underscore the government's commitment to prioritizing employment and fostering a conducive environment for economic activity.

Broader Context of Employment Stability

The current progress aligns with the overall stability observed in China's job market throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025). From 2021 through August of this year, China created 59.21 million urban jobs, surpassing the initial goal of 55 million for the period. The average surveyed urban unemployment rate during the first four years of this period stood at 5.3 percent, which is below the 5.5 percent control target. This consistent performance highlights the effectiveness of the government's long-term employment strategies despite complex domestic and international challenges.