China Adds 10.52 Million Urban Jobs Through September

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security reported that China added 10.52 million urban jobs between January and September, achieving 87.7% of its annual employment target. The ministry described employment as generally stable, noting that the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged 5.2% from January to August.

To maintain this momentum, the ministry is developing a policy document to increase hiring within the services sector, with the goal of making it the primary channel for job absorption. The government also plans to stabilize employment in labor-intensive industries while pursuing new opportunities in emerging and future sectors.

Social insurance coverage expanded by late September, with basic pension insurance covering 1.079 billion people. Unemployment and work-injury insurance covered 251 million and 327 million people, respectively, with combined social insurance funds totaling 11.2 trillion yuan.