China’s Youth Jobless Rate Eases but Competition Stays Fierce
青年失业率小幅下降，但就业竞争依旧激烈
China’s urban youth unemployment rate continued to inch down in October, offering a slight relief in an otherwise difficult job market. The jobless rate for 16- to 24-year-olds, excluding full-time students, fell to 17.3% from 17.7% in September, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Despite this improvement, young jobseekers still face intense competition, especially after a record 12.2 million graduates entered the labour market over the summer. This surge pushed the unemployment rate in August to its highest level since China revised its methodology in 2023 to exclude full-time students. While conditions have stabilised, many graduates continue exploring alternative career paths or delaying employment as the market remains highly competitive.
中国城市青年失业率在10月继续小幅回落，但整体就业环境仍然严峻。国家统计局数据显示，16至24岁非在校青年失业率从9月的17.7%降至17.3%。尽管有所改善，求职者仍面对激烈竞争，特别是今年夏季创纪录的1220万毕业生集中入市，导致8月失业率达到自2023年剔除全日制学生以来的最高水平。尽管情况有所稳定，许多毕业生仍在寻找替代发展路径或推迟就业，因为市场竞争依然十分激烈。
