China created a total of 10.57 million new urban jobs in the first nine months of 2025, achieving 88% of its annual target, official data showed on Wednesday. The surveyed urban unemployment rate stood at 5.2% in September, down 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, Cui Pengcheng, spokesperson for the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said at a press conference, as Xinhua reported. Cui noted that the government has intensified efforts to maintain a stable job market, accelerating the implementation of measures to support employment. China is targeting a surveyed urban unemployment rate of around 5.5% in 2025 and aims to create over 12 million new urban jobs this year. Recent data showed that unemployment in September declined from August’s six-month high of 5.3%. Meanwhile, China’s urban youth unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds, excluding students, fell to 17.7% in September 2025, marking the lowest level since June.