China's urban youth unemployment rate for people aged 16–24, excluding students, eased to 18% in September 2026 from 18.9% in August, when it reached its highest level in 12 months, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for people aged 25–29 edged down to 7.4% from 7.5%, while the jobless rate for those aged 30–59 remained unchanged at 3.9%.