China’s surveyed urban unemployment rate rose to 5.4% in March 2026 from 5.3% in the previous month and above market expectations of 5.2%. This marked the highest reading in thirteen months. Among the locally registered labor force, the unemployment rate stood at 5.4%, unchanged from February, while the rate for the migrant labor force grew to 5.3% from 5%. Within the migrant workforce, those holding agricultural household registration recorded an unemployment rate of 5.7%. Across 31 major cities, the surveyed urban unemployment rate increased to 5.3%, up from 5.1% in the previous two months. Meanwhile, enterprise employees nationwide worked an average of 48.1 hours per week.