China's labor market demonstrates resilience as seasonal fluctuations linked to the Spring Festival holiday temporarily impacted urban unemployment rates, according to the latest data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The country's surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged 5.3% in January-February 2025, mirroring 2024's figures despite a small monthly increase.
NBS spokesperson Fu Linghui attributed February's 5.4% unemployment rate – up 0.2 percentage points from January – to annual workforce movements during the Lunar New Year period. “The Spring Festival season typically brings temporary shifts in labor dynamics due to industrial production cycles and mass migrations,” Fu explained at a Monday briefing.
Government strategies focusing on domestic demand stimulation and industrial modernization appear crucial to maintaining stability. “Our accelerated development of emerging industries and business models continues creating employment buffers,” Fu noted, highlighting sectors like advanced manufacturing and green technology.
China aims to keep urban unemployment around 5.5% while adding 12 million urban jobs in 2025, targets outlined in last week's government work report. Fu emphasized ongoing challenges: “While international pressures persist, targeted employment-first policies will be optimized to ensure workforce stability through enhanced fund deployment and sectoral coordination.”
The remarks signal Beijing's continued emphasis on labor market stability as an economic priority, particularly through nurturing high-tech industries while supporting traditional sectors during transitional periods.
