The spokesperson of the bureau, Fu Linghui, stated that due to the increasing size of the urban youth population attending school in recent years, the publication of unemployment rates within this age group would be temporarily suspended from August onwards to establish more comprehensive and optimized labor force survey statistics. He pointed out that last year, the domestic population aged 16 to 24 reached 96 million, with over 65 million students. There are differing opinions in various sectors of society regarding whether students seeking employment before graduation should be included in labor force statistics, necessitating further research.
Fu Linghui also indicated that research will be conducted to define the age range for youth in labor force statistics. He explained that due to the increase in residents’ educational levels and extended time spent by young people in school, a more in-depth investigation is needed to determine the appropriate age range for youth in survey statistics. Fu noted that various regional departments are currently taking proactive measures to promote the employment of university graduates, and the overall employment situation for graduates remains stable.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics reveals that July’s urban surveyed unemployment rate was 5.3%, marking a monthly increase of 0.1 percentage points. Moreover, the unemployment rate for urban youth aged 16 to 24, announced in recent months, reached a new high at one point, rising to 21.3% in June.
