Unemployment rate among Chinese non-students in February continues to rise.

China’s unemployment rate continues to rise, according to official figures released this week. In February, the youth unemployment rate rose to 16.9%, marking a consecutive two-month increase. The national urban survey unemployment rate reached 5.4%, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, hitting a two-year high.

The data released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China on Thursday, March 20th, showed that in February, the unemployment rate of the labor force aged 16 to 24, excluding students, in urban areas nationwide was 16.9%, up by 0.8 percentage points from January, marking a continuous two-month rise. The unemployment rate for the labor force aged 25 to 29, excluding students, increased from 6.9% to 7.3%, reaching a new high in 15 months, while the rate for the labor force aged 30 to 59, excluding students, rose from 4% to 4.3%.

On Monday, March 17th, the National Bureau of Statistics announced that the national urban survey unemployment rate for February was 5.4%, up by 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, reaching the highest level in two years, with an average value of 5.3% for January and February combined. Additionally, in February, the urban survey unemployment rate in 31 major cities was 5.2%, the highest in six months.

Of particular concern is the youth unemployment rate. Official reports showed that the unemployment rate for those aged 16 to 24 had surpassed 20% from April to June in 2023, reaching a peak of 21.3% in June. Subsequently, this data was temporarily discontinued. Research by Zhang Dandan, a scholar at Peking University, suggested that the youth unemployment rate in China could have reached as high as 46.5% in 2023.

Starting from January 2024, the statistical bureau adjusted its data collection method, excluding students and resumed data publication. In December 2024, official reports stated that the urban survey unemployment rate for non-students aged 16 to 24 was 15.7%, showing a continuous decline over four months.

However, the Chinese Communist Party’s official data often conceals unfavorable situations, and the actual figures might be even worse. The rise in the unemployment rate among non-student youth aged 16 to 24 to 16.9% has sparked public concern.

Netizens commented: “Working only one hour a week is considered employment.” “The statistical method is crucial. There have been various versions of statistical methods circulating, such as only considering those who apply for unemployment insurance or not counting individuals as unemployed even if they earn a few dollars a month from gig work. There is also a claim that having income from a personal media account does not count as unemployment. I wonder what the accurate official statistical method is.”

“My neighbors, a family of three, are all unemployed…parents in their 50s and a child in their 30s.” “Students are not counted as unemployed, which is one of the reasons for the expansion of postgraduate admissions.” “With news like this, it definitely won’t trend on social media.”